CyNE  Hl'JNDREDTH  ANNIVERSARY 


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A    MEMORIAL  ^^^X 

OF   THE  ^^ibz^        ^'''" 

One  Hundredth  Anniversary 


OF   THE   INCORPORATION   OF   THE 

Town  of  Barre, 

June    17,    1874. 

CONTAINING    THE 

HISTORICAL  DISCOURSE  BY  REV.  JAMES  W.  THOMPSON,  D.D. 

OF    BOSTON     (JAMAICA    PLAIN)  J 

THE   POEM   BY   CHARLES   BRIMBLECOM,   ESQ., 

OF     BARRE ; 
THE   SPEECHES   AND   OTHER   EXERCISES   OF   THE   OCCASION. 


iPublfsfjeti  bg  tfje  SCoiun. 


CAMBRIDGE : 

PRESS  OF  JOHN  WILSON  AND   SON. 

1875. 


^15 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Preliminary  Proceedings i 

Circular  Letter  of  Invitation 4 

Programme 5 

Reception  in  Town  Hall,  June  16 8 

Poem,  by  Charles  E.  Stevens 10 

Presentation  of  Portrait  of  Col.  Barre     ....  16 

Order  of  Procession 19 

Public  Exercises 21 

Address  of  the  President  of  the  Day,  Dr.  George 

Brown 24 

Historical  Address,  by  Rev.  James  W.  Thompson     .  29 

Poem,  by  Charles  Brimblecom 175 

Sentiments  and  Responses 191 

Letter  of  Nathan  Allen 249 

List  of  Town  Officers  during  the  Century     .     .     .  253 

Leading  Appropriations  during  the  Century  .     .     .  266 

Votes  for  Governor  during  the  Century   ....  268 

Soldiers  of  Barre  in  the  Civil  War,  i  86 1-1S65  .     .  270 

Sketch  of  Regiments  in  which  they  served     .     .     .  271 
Original     Assignment     of     "  Great     and     Little 

Farms" 2S0 


PRELIMINARY     PROCEEDINGS. 


TN  accordance  with  the  general  sentiment  of  the  citizens 
-*■  of  Barre,  an  article  in  the  warrant  for  the  April  meet- 
ing, 1873,  was  "to  see  what  action  the  town  will  take  in 
relation  to  celebrating  the  One  Hundredth  Anniversary  of 
its  Incorporation  as  a  Town  ; "  and  at  an  adjourned  meet- 
ing, "Voted  to  accept  the  Report  of  the  Committee  to 
whom  the  matter  had  been  referred,  and  elect  the  Com- 
mittee of  Arrangement  they  had  nominated."  This  Report 
set  forth  the  reasons  for  the  celebration  which  was  recom- 
mended, the  objects  to  be  secured,  and  a  glance  at  the 
means  to  be  used  ;  and,  pursuant  to  its  recommendations, 
the  members  of  the  Committee  were  notified  by  the  Town 
Clerk  of  the  time  and  place  of  the  first  meeting ;  and  May 
28,  1873,  at  one  o'clock,  p.m.,  the  Committee,  consisting  of 


Luke  Adams, 
Charles  G.  Allen, 
Pliny  H.  Babbitt, 
George  Brown, 
Charles  Brimblecom, 
George  M.  Buttrick, 
James  H.  Carruth, 
Oramel  Clark, 
Daniel  Cummings, 
Edward  Denny, 
Jason  Desper, 
James  F.  Davis, 
Marshall  D.  Eaton, 
John  T.  Ellsworth, 
Jason  Gorham, 
J.  Henry  Goddard, 
Addison  H.  Holland, 
Stephen  Heald, 
Peter  Harwood, 


Alpheus  Harding, 
C.  C.  Hemenway, 
Austin  Hawes, 
John  Hancock, 
James  W.Jenkins, 
Samuel  A.  Kinsman, 
Nelson  Loring, 
Henry  E.  Rice, 
David  Rice, 
Allen  Rice, 
John  W.  Rice, 
William  L.  Russell, 
Franklin  Smith, 
J.  Edwin  Smith, 
Henry  J.  Shattuck, 
James  H.  Sibley, 
Hiram  Wadsworth, 
Edwin  Woods, 
Harding  Woods, 


2  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

met  at  the  Town  Hall,  and  organized  by  electing  Edwin 
Woods  Chairman,  and  Addison  H.  Holland  Secretary. 

A  Committee  of  eight  was  appointed,  to  which  were 
added  the  Chairman  and  Secretary,  to  report  a  plan  of 
proceedings  and  such  sub-committees  as  their  report  should 
render  necessary. 

The  report  of  this  Committee,  nominating  eight  sub-com- 
mittees, and  indicating  their  duties,  was  adopted,  and  the 
nominations  were  as  follows  :  — 

History ,  Tradition,  Biography,  and  Genealogy. 

Edwin  Woods.  Peter  Harwood. 

Charles  Brimblecom.  David  Rice. 

Jason  Gorham.  Hiram  Wadsworth. 

Luke  Adams.  James  W.  Jenkins. 

J.  Henry  Goddard. 

Statistics. 
Henry  E.  Rice.  Hiram  Wadsworth. 

William  L.  Russell.  Harding  Woods. 

Stephen  Heald.  Pliny  H.  Babbitt. 

John  T.  Ellsworth. 

Correspondence  with  Native  and  Former  Residents  and  Descendants. 

James  W.  Jenkins.  J.  Henry  Goddard. 

Charles  G.  Allen.  Alpheus  Harding. 

Addison  H.  Holland.  C.  C.  Hemenway 

Franklin  Smith.  James  H.  Sibley. 

Austin  Hawes. 

Correspondence  with  Representatives  of  Colonel  Isaac  Barre. 

George  Brown.  Oramel  Clark. 

Charles  Brimblecom.  J.  Edwin  Smith. 

John  Hancock. 

Intellectual  Entertainment. 

Charles  Brimblecom.  George  Brown. 

George  M.  Buttrick.  Edward  Denny. 

James  W.  Jenkins. 

Music. 
Henry  J.  Shattuck.  Jason  Desper. 

James  F.  Davis.  Edward  Denny. 

William  T^.  Ritssell. 


PRELIMINARY    PROCEEDINGS.  3 

Finatice. 
John  W.  Rice.  Harding  Woods. 

Samuel  A.  Kinsman.  Daniel  Cummings. 

James  H.  Carruth. 

Executive  Committee. 

James  W.  Jenkins.  James  F.  Davis. 

Marshall  D.  Eaton.  Edwin  Woods. 

George  M.  Buttrick.  Nelson  Loring. 

Addison  H.  Holland.  Allen  Rice. 

John  W.  Rice.  Samuel  S.  Hamilton. 

Joel  B.  Hinkley. 

J.  Henry  Goddard  was  elected  Corresponding  Secretary. 

It  was  voted  by  the  Committee  that  Rev.  James  W. 
Thompson,  D.D.,  of  Jamaica  Plain,  be  invited  to  deliver 
an  address  appropriate  to  the  occasion,  and  the  Chairman 
and  Corresponding  Secretary  were  instructed  to  convey  to 
him  the  invitation.  At  a  subsequent  meeting  of  the  Com- 
mittee it  was  voted  that  our  fellow-citizen,  Charles  Brim- 
BLECOM,  Esq.,  be  invited  to  prepare  a  Poem;  and  both  of 
the  invitations  were  in  due  season  accepted. 

The  several  committees  just  mentioned  entered  vigor- 
ously upon  their  appropriate  work,  the  General  Commit- 
tee meeting  once  a  month  to  hear  reports  and  agree  upon 
details.  The  officers  of  the  day  were  appointed  the  iSth  of 
April,  as  follows  :  — 

President. 
Dr.  George  Brown. 

Vice-Presidents. 
Francis  Rice.  James  W.  Jenkins. 

Edwin  Woods.  George  M.  Buttrick. 

Marshal. 
Dr.  Charles  G.  Allen,  who  was  authorized  to  appoint  his  Assistants. 

Early  in  the  season,  the  Committee  on  Correspondence 
with  native  and  former  residents  and  their  descendants 
prepared  a  circular  letter  of  invitation,  which  was  adopted 


4  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

by  the  Committee  and  sent  to  all  those  persons  whose 
names  and  post-ofRce  address  were  known,  and  is  as  fol- 
lows :  — 

CENTENNIAL    ANNIVERSARY. 

Office  of  Centennial  Committee, 

Barre,  Mass.,  February,   1874. 

On  the  17th  of  June  next  will  occur  the  one  hundredth  anni- 
versary of  the  incorporation  of  this  town. 

That  event  the  citizens  propose  to  celebrate  by  an  oration, 
banquet,  and  such  other  intellectual,  social,  and  festive  obser- 
vances as  may  be  deemed  appropriate  to  make  it  an  occasion  of 
marked  interest  to  the  present  and  former  residents  of  the  town, 
and  their  descendants,  who  may  gather  here  to  render  a  fitting 
tribute  of  gratitude  and  respect  to  the  memory  and  character  of 
the  men  and  women  who,  braving  the  privations  incident  to  pio- 
neer life,  laid  deep  and  strong  the  foundations  of  those  social, 
religious,  and  industrial  institutions  that  have  existed  and  given 
character  to  our  town. 

In  pursuance  of  that  purpose,  the  Committee  of  Arrangements 
have,  with  entire  unanimity,  invited  a  well-known  and  highly- 
esteemed  son  of  Barre  to  deliver  an  historical  address  appropriate 
to  the  occasion,  which  has  been  accepted. 

To  aid  the  Orator  and  Committee  in  their  efforts  to  collect  and 
perpetuate  an  historic  record  of  the  town,  before  or  since  the  first 
settlers  occupied  it,  all  persons  and  societies  who  may  know  any 
fact,  tradition,  incident,  or  characteristic  tending  to  illustrate  its 
history,  are  specially  requested  to  communicate  the  same  to  the 
Committee,  with  as  little  delay  as  possible. 

This  circular  is  intended  to  be  an  earnest  appeal  to  all  natives 
and  former  residents  of  Barre,  and  their  descendants,  wherever 
they  may  be,  to  co-operate  in  this  celebration,  to  improve  this 
birthday  occasion  to  revisit  the  homes  and  resting-places  of  their 
ancestors,  renew  the  associations  and  memories  of  the  past, 
strengthen  and  brighten  the  friendships  of  other  days,  and 
mutually  profit  by  the  lessons  of  the  past  hundred  years. 
In  behalf  of  Committee  of  Correspondence, 

James  W.  Jenkins,  Chah-inaii. 


PRELIMINARY    PROCEEDINGS. 


In   accordance  with    the  vote,  there   was    reported    and 
adopted  the  following  Programme  :  — 


I.    VOLUNTARY. 


II.    INVOCATION. 


III.    READING   OF   SCRIPTURES. 


IV.    HYMN    BY   THE   CHOIR. 

What  thanks,  O  God  !  to  thee  are  due, 
That  thou  didst  plant  our  fathers  here, 

And  watch  and  guard  them  as  they  grew, 
A  vineyard  to  the  planter  dear. 

The  toils  they  bore  our  ease  have  wrought ; 

They  sowed  in  tears,  —  in  joy  we  reap  ; 
The  birthright  they  so  dearly  bought 

We'll  guard  till  we  with  them  shall  sleep. 


V.    PRAYER. 


VI.    PRESIDENT'S   ADDRESS. 


VII.    SINGING   BY   CHILDREN. 

Dear  friends  of  ours,  assembled  here 

To  bless  this  happy  hour. 
Welcome  to  this  delightful  place, 

To  pleasure's  lovely  bower  ; 
And  while  with  joy  our  voices  rise, 

And  echo  through  this  numerous  throng. 
Let  memory  take  a  passing  glance 

At  days  long  passed  and  gone. 

We  read  that  through  these  forests  once 

The  bear  and  wolf  did  roam ; 
That  here  our  grandsires  pitched  their  tents, 

Here  made  their  forest  home  ; 
That  o'er  the  dark  blue  waves  they  came, 

And  left  their  kith  and  kin  behind, 
That  they  might  truly  worship  God 

At  freedom's  glorious  shrine. 


BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

VIII.     HISTORICAL     DISCOURSE. 
By  Rev.  James  W.  Thompson,  D.D. 


IX.    CENTENNIAL   HYMN. 
By  Miss  Mary  Brimblecom. 

An  hundred  years  gone  by  ! 
Though  in  the  past  they  lie, 

A  century. 
What  thoughts  to-day  unfold, 
Of  lives  all  long  since  told. 
Of  old-time  deeds  and  words  ! 

Bless'd  memory  ! 

Through  full  an  hundred  years. 
Sped  on  by  hopes  and  fears. 

Time's  stream  hath  run. 
With  many  a  song-lit  hour. 
With  grief's  subduing  power. 
Its  waves  flow  as  of  yore, 

From  sun  to  sun. 

With  fortune's  favored  care, 
These  lands  and  fields  so  fair 

Bless  us  to-day ; 
And  their  bright  songs  of  praise 
To  the  Creator  raise, 
For  benefits  received 

This  century. 

And  when  thou  callest  home. 
The  cent'ry's  work  all  done. 

To  rest  in  thee, 
We'll  praise  thee,  Lord,  above, 
God  of  all  faith  and  love, 
Thy  Son  and  Holy  Ghost, 

Eternally. 


COLLATION. 


I.    MUSIC   BY   THE   BAND. 


PRELIMINARY    PROCEEDINGS. 

II.     POEM. 
By  Charles  Brimblecom. 


III.    ODE. 
By  Miss  Carrie  Bacon. 

Tune,  ^'Auld Lang  Syne." 

One  hundred  years  have  passed  away, 

And  life  has  come  and  gone, 
Since  first  amid  the  forest  old 

Our  fathers  found  a  home  ; 
And  where  your  pleasant  homesteads  rise, 

'Mid  meadows  green  and  fair, 
The  settler's  log-walled  cabin  stood, 

The  wild  beast  made  his  lair. 

This  day  to  us  is  holy  time, 

For  in  this  month  of  flowers  • 
Was  freedom  born  at  Bunker's  Hill, 

A  birthday  proud  is  ours  ! 
Our  good  old  town  hath  loyal  been 

To  honor,  right,  and  truth. 
And  we  have  kept  through  all  the  years 

Sweet  mem'ries  of  our  youth. 

And  so,  old  friends,  we  home  return, 

To  keep  our  natal  day  ; 
Led  by  the  fair  soft  hand  of  June 

Along  our  pleasant  way  : 
We  come  the  old  familiar  path 

Once  more  with  joy  to  tread. 
And  roam  where  first  our  childish  feet 

In  careless  freedom  sped. 

The  glory  of  the  Summer  time, 

Her  green  robes  gemmed  with  flowers, 
Her  roses  twined  in  garlands  fair. 

Make  glad  and  bright  the  hours. 
The  grand  old  woods  the  air-harps  wild 

To  softest  notes  attune. 
As  'mid  their  depths  the  sylvan  choir 

Chant  gladsome  songs  of  June. 


BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

And  voices  dear  in  years  gone  by 

Give  us  a  welcome  sweet, 
As  friends  belov'd  in  youth's  glad  time 

Again  witii  joy  we  greet. 
Where'er  the  earnest  work  of  life 

Hath  led  our  wand'ring  feet, 
As  children,  homeward  we  return 

In  love  and  peace  to  meet. 

Whate'er  of  care  or  grief  hath  dimmed 

The  brightness  of  our  way, 
*Tis  only  sweetest,  fairest  flowers 

On  mem'ry's  shrine  we  lay. 
While  tender  thoughts  of  loved  ones  gone, 

Affection's  severed  chain,  — 
The  heart-lyre  thrills  with  gentlest  touch, 

Like  music's  soft  refrain. 


IV.    SENTIMENTS,    RESPONSES,   MUSIC,   &c. 


The  multitude  expected  being  larger  than  could  be 
conveniently  gathered  in  any  of  our  buildings,  a  Committee, 
consisting  of 

James  F.  Davis,  Nelson  Loring, 

Allen  Rice,  Oramel  Clark, 

Samuel  S.  Hamilton,  Charles  G.  Allen, 

P.  H.  Babbitt,  Joel  B.  Hinkley, 

were  charged  with  the  matter  of  a  tent  and  a  platform, 
seats,  and  decorations,  and  it  having  been  decided  to  have 
a  free  collation,  that  subject  also  was  referred  to  the  same 
Committee. 

The  social  features  of  the  occasion  required  that  an 
opportunity  should  be  afforded  for  an  informal  meeting 
and  greeting  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  town,  who 
should  return  to  honor,  by  their  presence,  the  home  of 
their  childhood  on  its  anniversary,  and  to  renew  the  friend- 
ships and  memories  of  other  days,  and  therefore  there  was 
arranged  a  reception  at  the  Town  Hall,  Tuesday  evening, 


PRELIMINARY    PROCEEDINGS.  9 

the  i6th  inst.,  and  Messrs.  Jenkins,  Buttrick,  and  Hol- 
land were  appointed  a  Committee  to  have  the  general 
arrangement  of  the  gathering. 

Learning  that  one  of  the  sons  of  Barre  residing  abroad 
had  procured  and  sent  for  presentation  to  the  town  a 
finely-painted  portrait  of  the  distinguished  orator,  states- 
man, and  soldier,  Col.  Isaac  Barre,  for  whom  the  town 
was  named,  the  idea  of  making  that  picture  one  of  the  feat- 
ures of  the  occasion  and  a  pleasant  surprise  seemed  fitting, 
and  it  was  arranged  that  it  should  be  presented  at  that  time, 
and  Charles  E.  Stevens,  Esq.,  of  Worcester,  was  invited 
to  prepare  an  appropriate  introduction  of  the  incident  and 
gathering.  An  invitation  was  extended  to  the  citizens 
having  in  their  possession  portraits  of  persons  who  had 
been  connected  with  the  public  or  social  life  of  the  town, 
to  loan  them  to  add  interest  to  the  occasion ;  and  when  the 
Hall  was  opened  for  the  reception  of  friends,  the  familiar 
faces  of  those  whose  memory  was  cherished  by  all  met 
the  view  from  the  walls.  Mild  and  benevolent  as  during 
his  long  ministry  shone  the  pastor  who  for  fifty  years  had 
taught  the  fathers  and  the  sons  the  way  of  righteousness,  — 
Rev.  Dr.  Thompson.  The  family  physician  of  many  of  the 
citizens  looked  on  his  patients,  whose  lives  perchance  he  had 
by  his  skill  snatched  from  the  grave,  while  the  portrait  of 
his  wife,  that  venerable  mother  in  our  Israel,  Mrs.  Dr. 
Bates,  hung  by  his  side,  though  separated  from  him  by 
nearly  forty  years.  Hon.  Nath'l.  Houghton,  a  lawyer  of 
the  town,  with  his  accomplished  wife,  were  recalled  to 
many  friends  by  the  portraits  of  their  younger  days ;  while 
those  of  the  venerable  Gen.  Lee  and  his  wife,  the  shrewd 
and  kind-hearted  Deacon  Joseph  Barrett,  the  solid  and 
substantial  Mr.  Peter  Harwood,  the  jolly  Mr.  Alpheus 
Plummer,  with  their  wives,  the  thoughtful  countenance  of 
Hon.  Timothy  Jenkins,  and  the  youthful  head  of  the  late 
distinguished    Gen.   Joseph    B.    Plummer,    the    merchants 


lO  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

Harding  P.  Woods  and  Charles  Lee,  besides  many  others 
equally  entitled  to  be  mentioned,  all  united  to  carry  us  back 
to  the  memories  and  friendships  of  other  days,  and  fitly  to 
inaugurate  the  reception  of  the  portrait  of  the  man  for 
whom  the  town  was  named. 

Besides  these  pictures,  there  were  relics  of  an  interesting 
character,  —  as,  a  musket  which  was  carried  at  the  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill,  a  sword  worn  on  the  same  occasion,  a  pair  of 
spurs  and  a  cap  box,  that  came  over  in  the  Mayflower, 
and  many  more  of  equal  interest  appropriately  arranged. 

In  the  centre  of  the  Hall,  in  the  rear  of  the  platform,  a 
marroon  curtain  covered  a  frame  four  feet  high  by  three 
feet  ten  inches  wide. 

After  the  Hall  was  filled,  and  a  short  time  had  been  spent 
in  familiar  conversation,  the  Chairman  of  the  Committee 
invited  the  audience  to  give  their  attention  to  a  piece  of 
music  which  was  rendered  from  the  piano  in  a  style  of  rare 
excellence  (good  judges  said)  ;  but  such  was  the  desire  for 
conversation  and  hand-shaking  in  these  brief  moments, 
that  no  considerations  of  courtesy  could  secure  the  requisite 
silence  for  its  appreciation. 

The  attention  was,  after  a  short  time,  invited  to  Charles 
E.  Stevens,  Esq.,  of  Worcester,  who  came  forward  in 
front  of  the  picture  and  recited  the  following  lines : 

When  England's  Commons  sat  in  state, 
And  hurried  through,  with  brief  debate, 
That  famous  Act  which  forced  our  sires 
To  light  the  Revolution's  fires,* 
No  voice  of  protest  smote  their  ears, 
No  words  of  warning  roused  their  fears  ; 
To  Townshend's  insults  none  replied, 
His  soothing  falsehoods  none  denied  ; 

*  The  Stamp  Act.  This,  of  course,  was  not  the  immediate  cause  of  the 
Revolution,  but  still  it  was  the  entering  wedge. 


PRELIMINARY    PROCEEDINGS.  II 

None,  until  Barre  rose,  alone,* 
And  made  our  fathers'  cause  his  own  ; 
Rose,  and,  with  courage  flaming  high, 
Gave  back  to  Townshend  this  reply  : 

"  They,,  exiles  !    planted  by  your  care  ! 
'Twas  your  oppression  drove  them  there. 
Nourished  by  your  indulgence  !     No  ! 
'Twas  your  neglect  that  made  them  grow. 
Protected  by  your  arms  !     They  fought 
In  your  defence  ;  unaided  wrought 
In  those  far  wilds  to  build  a  state 
To  make  your  empire  wide  and  great. 
But  mark  !  the  love  of  freedom  still, 
As  ever,  rules  that  people's  will ; 
Forbear  to  try  their  temper,  lest 
They  from  your  grasp  that  empire  wrest." 

Our  fathers  heard,  across  the  sea. 
Those  words  of  fire,  that  burning  plea  : 
They  felt  the  flame,  then  dealt  the  stroke 
That  brake  in  pieces  England's  yoke. 
Thereafter,  Isaac  Barre's  name 
New  England's  household  word  became. 
And  school-boys  learned  his  speech  to  speak, 
Nor  cared  for  nobler  words  to  seek. 
Boston,  with  roused,  attentive  ear. 
That  far-oft' speech  was  quick  to  hear, 
That  far-off'  Friend  was  first  to  greet, 
And  lay  her  honors  at  his  feet. 
In  stately  words  his  acts  she  told, 
In  solemn  form  her  thanks  enrolled, 
And,  in  her  proud,  historic  hall 
Decreed  his  Picture  to  install. 

*  General  Conway  was  associated  with  Colonel  Barr^  in  opposition  to  the 
Stamp  Act,  but  his  speech  was  never  reported ;  and,  in  the  popular  estima- 
tion of  New  England,  Barre,  through  his  famous  speech,  printed  in  all  the 
school-books  and  declaimed  by  successive  generations  of  school-bojs, 
stood  as  the  champion  of  America. 


12  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

But  in  that  hall  is  seen  no  more 
That  Picture,  seen  there  once  of  yore  ; 
Nor  lives  there  one  to  tell  its  fate, 
Or  of  its  loss  to  mark  the  date. 

We  pass  a  century  of  years,  , 

And  lo  !  his  Picture  reappears  : 
Not  Boston,  —  his  fair  namesake  now 
Unveils  to  view  his  noble  brow. 
Behold  him  !  and  recall  the  hour 
When  he  for  us  rebuked  the  Power 
Which  drove  us  to  the  deadly  strife 
That  issued  in  our  nobler  life. 
Behold  !  and  mark  that  manly  face, 
Where  sweetness  adds  a  finer  grace 
To  sterner  lines,  which  prove  the  man 
•         Was  framed  on  some  heroic  plan. 
We  gaze,  and  lo  !  the  canvas  shines 
With  life  and  truth  in  all  its  lines ; 
Again  before  our  eyes  he  lives 
The  character  which  history  gives  :  — 
A  soldier,  gallant  in  the  fight ; 
A  statesman,  standing  for  the  right ; 
An  orator,  with  tongue  of  fire 
The  weak  to  nerve,  the  dull  t'  inspire  ; 
A  patriot  to  his  country  true. 
Yet  to  our  country  faithful  too  : 
Who  thus.  Old  England's  loyal  son, 
New  England's  grateful  homage  won. 
Behold  him  !   and  rejoice  that  when 
This  goodly  town  was  named  again, 
When  Hutchitison^  that  hated  name, 
Was  flung  aside  in  scorn  and  shame, 
'Twas  Barre's  fame  the  town  most  prized, 
And  Barre  'twas  anew  baptized. 
Thanks  to  the  fine,  discerning  sense 
Which  led  the  fathers  to  dispense 
With  sounding  Greek  and  Roman  names, 
With  Adams',  Otis',  Warren's  claims, 


PRELIMINARY    PROCEEDINGS.  I3 

And  their  admiring  choice  bestow 

On  him  who  was  both  friend  and  foe  :  — 

UnwilHng  foe  by  fault  of  birth, 

Unstinting  friend  by  choice,  his  worth 

With  paradoxal  glory  shone. 

And  made  them  make  his  name  their  own. 

They  also,  by  such  choosing  tried, 

Now  live  before  us  glorified. 

And  thanks  to  him  whose  generous  thought 

The  happy  inspiration  caught 

That  noble  Presence  here  to  place, 

This  hall,  and  him,  alike  to  grace  ; 

An  outward  glory,  but,  beside, 

A  gracious  monitor  and  guide, 

Suggesting  good,  forbidding  ill, 

By  fine  example  teaching  still. 

'Tis  well  such  Presence  should  look  down 

Upon  the  freemen  of  the  town. 

As  they,  for  business,  year  by  year 

In  grave  assembly  gather  here  ; 

'Tis  well  such  Presence  they  should  feel, 

While  acting  for  the  common  weal. 

Thus,  rising  to  a  loftier  plane. 

Their  civic  life  shall  reap  the  gain, 

Unworthy  arts  shall  get  no  hold, 

Nor  bribes  be  paid,  nor  votes  be  sold. 

And  large  and  generous  reach  of  thought 

To  every  question  shall  be  brought ; 

So  they,  not  Barre's  name  alone, 

His  virtues,  too,  shall  make  their  own. 

But  now  a  nearer  theme  invites  — 
Reunion^  with  its  dear  delights. 
Retire,  the  Past,  while  I  salute 
The  Present,  of  that  Past  the  fruit. 
Fair  town  !  that  sittest  on  thy  hills, 
Made  verdurous  by  a  thousand  rills, 
To  thee,  on  this  thy  natal  day, 
All  glorious  in  thy  June  array, 


14  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

Thy  absent  children  homeward  flock  ; 
To  thee,  who  didst  their  cradles  rock, 
Who  led'st  them  up  to  manhood's  prime, 
,  And  blessed  and  sent  them  forth  to  climb, 

With  vigorous  feet,  the  ways  of  life, 
And  mingle,  conquering,  in  its  strife : 
From  every  land  that  lured  them  forth. 
From  the  sunny  South,  the  bracing  North, 
The  waning  East  with  age  oppressed. 
Or  from  the  waxing,  greatening  West, 
As  doves  unto  their  windows  come. 
With  beating  hearts  they  hasten  home. 
How  beauteous  in  their  eyes  art  thou  ! 
No  marks  of  time  oppress  thy  brow, 
No  change  makes  sad  the  lapse  of  years, 
No  ruin  stirs  the  fount  of  tears  ; 
Still,  as  when  first  they  roamed  away, 
Unchanged  they  find  thee  here  to-day. 
And  they,  how  welcome  to  thy  breast, 
The  pillow  of  their  earliest  rest ! 
How  wide  for  them  thy  sheltering  arms, 
Their  first  defence  from  rude  alarms  ! 
What  though  they  come  not  as  they  went. 
With  eye  undimmed  and  form  unbent ; 
What  though  on  some  once  youthful  heads 
Nov»^  gleam  the  sobering,  silver  threads, 
And  some  with  wintry  snows  are  white, 
That  once  with  raven  locks  were  bright? 
To  change  like  this  thy  love  is  blind  : 
Thy  children,  only,  thou  dost  find 
In  old  or  young,  who  homeward  press. 
To  share  once  more  thy  dear  caress  ; 
All,  all  who  once  upon  thee  hung. 
To  thee  are  still  for  ever  young. 
They,  too,  the  magic  current  feel 
Of  youth  through  all  their  pulses  steal ; 
Ant3eus-like,  their  native  ground 
They  touch,  and  back  to  youth  rebound  ; 


PRELIMINARY    PROCEEDINGS.  I5 

Age,  like  a  garment,  slips  away, 
And,  girls  and  boys,  once  more  they  play 
Around  the  hearth  or  school-house  door  ; 
Or,  rich  in  pennies,  seek  the  store 
Where  bright,  seductive  candies  glow 
With  all  the  colors  of  the  bow  ; 
Or,  Sunday  scholars,  sit  in  rows, 
Impatient  for  the  hour  to  close  ; 
Or  fish  along  the  trout-full  stream, 
Or  lie  upon  its  banks  and  dream  ; 
Or  chase  the  squirrels  up  the  trees, 
Whence,  impudent  and  at  their  ease, 
With  chatter  they  their  foes  assail. 
And  flirt  defiance  with  the  tail. 
Perchance  'tis  winter,  and  elate. 
Triumphant  on  the  conquering  skate, 
They  hiss  along  the  polished  ice  ; 
Nor  heedful,  always,  of  advice. 
Forbear  to  tempt,  with  venturous  feet, 
The  sometimes  thin  and  treach'rous  sheet. 
Perchance  the  sleigh-ride  they  revive. 
As  to  the  neighboring  town  they  drive 
At  Christmas-tide  or  glad  New  Year, 
While  glowing  cheek  and  tingling  ear 
Attest  th'  exhilarating  strife 
Of  outward  cold  with  inward  life. 

But  who  shall  all  the  scenes  I'ecount 
Which  rise  to  view  from  memory's  fount? 
What  gift  of  speech  exhaust  the  theme 
That  centres  in  this  hour  supreme? 
Not  mine  the  gift :   my  task  is  done. 
My  slender  thread  of  verse  is  spun  ; 
The  endless  theme  I  leave  with  you. 
And,  till  the  morrow,  say  —  Adieu. 

At  the  appropriate  time  the  curtain   was  dropped  from 
the  picture,  and  it  was  welcomed  by  enthusiastic  cheers. 


l6  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

It  is  a  life-size  bust  of  Col.  Barre,  dressed  in  the  cos- 
tume of  the  period,  —  a  marroon  velvet  coat,  with  ruffles, 
—  and  is  the  representation  of  a  character  of  dignity  and 
"firmness.  After  Mr.  Stevens  had  concluded,  Mr.  Edwin 
Woods  was  introduced,  who  said  :  — 

"  It  has  been  said  that  names  are  things.  It  is  certain  they  are 
of  no  little  importance  in  their  relation  to  the  feelings,  and  may 
have  an  influence  on  the  conduct  and  character  of  individuals,  and 
of  communities.  The  name  of  a  town  from  its  associations  may 
influence  for  good  or  ill  the  feelings  and  fortunes  of  the  dwellers 
therein. 

"  When  the  founders  of  this  town  realized  that  they  had  the 
prospect  of  aiding  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  one  whose  public 
conduct  had  rendered  his  memory  infamous,  they  made  a  spirited 
and  successful  effort  to  be  rid  of  that  burden,  and  had  the  satis- 
faction of  receiving  instead  the  name  of  one  who  had  endeared 
himself  to  the  people  of  these  colonies  by  his  defence  of  their 
cause  in  the  British  parliament. 

"  Born  of  obscure  French  emigrants  who  had  settled  in  Dublin, 
he  had  found  his  way  into  the  army,  and  by  a  diligent  use  of  his 
opportunities  had  acquired  the  art  of  a  ready  and  graceful  speaker, 
and  possessed  himself  of  a  fund  of  accurate  and  telling  statistical 
facts  with  which  he  was  enabled  to  meet  and  dispel  the  sophistry 
with  which  the  ministry  of  the  day  sought  to  gild  their  tyranny. 
While  in  the  service  of  his  country  as  one  of  lier  armed  defenders 
he  gained  the  confidence  of  the  gallant  Wolfe,  and  was  with  him 
in  the  hospital  wounded,  as  that  youthful  hero,  also  wounded,  on 
hearing  that  his  purpose  was  accomplished,  the  army  of  the 
British  was  successful,  and  the  French  were  flying,  exclaimed, 
with  patriotic  enthusiasm,  then  '  God  be  praised  !  I  die  happy,' 
and  immediately  expired. 

"  The  group  of  youthful  heroes  around  the  bedside  of  their 
beloved  dying  commander  have  been  transferred  to  canvas  by  the 
pencil  of  the  famous  Benjamin  West.  Among  them  was  Lord 
Amherst  and  Isaac  Barre,  who  subsequently  became  attached 
friends,  as  they  together,  as  commander-in-chief  and  aid,  continued 
the  contest  for  British  dominion  in  Canada.  As  a  proof  of  their 
friendship,  a  picture  of  Col.  Barre  was  painted  for  the  gallery  of 


PRELIMINARY    PROCEEDINGS.  1 7 

Lord  Amherst  by  Gilbert  Stuart.  On  the  canvas  before  you  is 
a  faithful  copy  of  that  picture,  painted  for  this  occasion  by  a  dis- 
tinguished artist  for  a  son  of  Barre.  I  have  the  honor,  Mr. 
Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Selectmen,  to  present  it  to  you  as  the 
proper  representative  of  the  town,  for  the  purpose  of  testifying 
the  respect  of  the  donor  for  the  place  of  his  birth  and  the  home 
of  his  childhood,  with  the  hope  that  it  may  remain  on  these  walls 
to  stimulate  the  youth  of  the  town  to  study  the  history  of  their 
country's  early  days  and  to  note  the  career  and  imitate  the  virtues 
of  the  man  in  whose  honor  the  town  was  named  as  they  shall 
gaze  on  the  lineaments  of  the  noble  countenance  of  Isaac  Barre." 

In  response,  the  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Selectmen, 
Hon.  George  M.  Buttrick,  said:  — 

"  We  have  high  authority  for  the  assertion  that  it  is  '  more 
blessed  to  give  than  to  receive,'  but  we  cannot  fail  to  appreciate 
the  motive  that  has  led  to  this  most  appropriate  and  welcome 
gift.  A  picture  like  that,  of  one  who  had  merited  the  honor  of 
having  his  name  preferred  before  that  of  the  representative  of  roy- 
alty by  the  young  democracy  of  the  New  World  would  have  been  a 
cherished  ornament  of  any  man's  home,  and  for  this  preference 
of  our  Town  Hall,  in  behalf  of  the  citizens  of  the  town,  we  desire 
you  to  convey  to  the  donor  our  hearty  thanks.  I  know  I  speak 
the  sentiments  of  every  citizen  when  I  assure  you,  and  him 
through  you,  that  the  successive  officers  of  the  town,  charged 
with  the  care  of  its  property,  its  rights,  and  its  honor,  will  be 
required  to  see  to  it  that  that  picture  shall  receive  no  detriment, 
but  continue  to  hang  on  these  walls  to  teach  the  youth  of  the 
town  the  lessons  of  courage,  of  truth,  and  of  duty  it  is  calculated 
to  inspire." 

The  Committee  had  arranged  that  several  of  the  young 
ladies  of  the  town  should  furnish  instrumental  and  vocal 
music,  but  the  disposition  to  talk  rather  than  to  listen  ren- 
dered imperative  the  omission  of  nearly  all  of  that  part 
of  the  programme. 

The  joyful  greetings,  the  introductions,  the  memories 
revived   and   the   friendships  renewed,   kept   all   occupied, 

1 


l8  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

and  the  exercises  of  the  next  day  were  rendered  more 
interesting  by  the  glad  reunion  of  the  evening  before. 

The  report  to  the  General  Committee  on  the  subject  of 
tent,  seats,  decorations,  and  dinner  was  made  by  the 
arrival  at  the  depot,  the  transportation  to  the  common,  and 
the  prompt  erection  of  one  of  Mr.  Yale's  new  and  splendid 
tents,  of  sufficient  size  to  accommodate  five  thousand  per- 
sons, for  whom  as  comfortable  seats  as  the  occasion  would 
allow  were  provided.  A  platform,  twenty  feet  deep  and 
eighty  feet  wide,  for  the  speakers,  the  choir,  the  band,  and 
guests  of  distinguished  civil  or  social  position,  was  erected ; 
while  an  arch,  trimmed  with  evergreen,  and  ornamented 
with  appropriate  inscriptions,  fronted  the  entrance  for  the 
procession  to  pass  through. 

Across  the  principal  streets  entering  the  village  were 
suspended  the  national  flags,  with  varied  and  appropriate 
mottoes,  and  from  a  line  suspended  between  the  steeples  of 
the  two  churches  the  Union  flag  floated  proudly. 

The  Marshal  had  also,  in  honor  of  the  occasion,  arranged 
for  an  escort  for  the  procession,  consisting  of  sixty  mounted 
men,  the  substantial  farmers  and  citizens  of  the  town ;  and, 
though  the  unfavorable  weather  rendered  the  march  im- 
practicable, the  escort  was  out  riding  four  abreast,  and  in 
the  first  platoon  were  Mr.  Francis  Rice,  Mr.  Nathaniel 
Holland,  Mr.  Jason  Gorham,  and  Mr.  Francis  Nye, 
whose  united  ages  exceeded  three  hundred  and  twenty 
years,  and  who  each  rode  and  managed  his  own  horse 
with  a  skill  worthy  of  horsemen  in  the  prime  of  life.  He 
had  also  issued  the  following  — 


PRELIMINARY   PROCEEDINGS.  1 9 

ORDER   OF  PROCESSION 

FOR 

BARRE   CENTENNIAL   CELEBRATION, 
Jutie  17,  1874. 


Marshal  and  Aids. 

Music. 

President,  Orator,  and  Poet. 

Officiating  Clergy. 

Governor  of  Massachusetts  and  Executive 

Department. 

Judiciary  and  Legislative  Departments  of 

the  Commonwealth. 

Representatives  of  Historical  Societies  in  Massachusetts. 

Representatives  of  Adjoining  Towns. 

Sons  of  Barre  from  Abroad  of  Distinguished 

Civil  and  Social  Positions. 

Former  Residents  and  Descendants  of  Early 

Settlers  from  Abroad. 

Citizens  from  Abroad. 

Committee  of  Arrangements. 

Town  Officers. 

Citizens  of  Barre. 

Children. 

CHARLES   G.   ALLEN,   Marshal. 

It  was  a  great  disappointment  that  the  rain,  which  had 
fallen  continuously  through  the  night,  making  the  travelling 
unpleasant,  and  the  flags  and  mottoes  to  be  shorn  of  their 
beauty  and  grace,  should  have  deprived  so  many  of  the 
expected  pleasure  of  being  present,  and  in  various  ways 
diminished  the  eclat  of  the  demonstration. 

Yet  at  about  the  appointed  time  the  President,  Orator,  and 
Poet  were  escorted  to  the  tent,  which  contained  about  four 
thousand  persons  comfortably  seated;  and  at  10.55  a.m., 
the  exercises  commenced,  and  were  carried  through  accord- 
ing to  the  programme. 

A  report  of  what  was  said  will  be  found  in  the  following 
pages.  The  hymn  and  the  odes,  which  are  to  be  found  on 
a  preceding  page,  were  rendered  by  the  choir  under  the 


20  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

direction  of  Henry  J.  Shattuck,  Esq.,  in  a  finished  and 
appropriate  manner,  while  the  piano  accompaniment  de- 
served also  special  praise.  Nor  ought  we  to  forget  the 
beautiful  sight  of  the  three  hundred  school  children,  as 
they  raised  their  voices  in  harmony  to  join  in  the  welcome 
to  friends,  under  the  direction  of  the  School  Committee,  and 
led  by  Mr.  Chauncey  Loring.  The  Worcester  Brass  Band 
gave  some  very  fine  music  to  enliven  the  occasion  during 
the  afternoon,  and  in  the  evening  the  Barre  Band  by  its 
performances  added  much  to  the  pleasure  of  the  occasion, 
so  that  on  the  whole  the  efTorts  of  the  Committee  on  Music 
were  regarded  as  an  entire  success. 

It  is  noteworthy  that  no  accident  marred  the  pleasure  of 
the  day ;  and  about  seven  o'clock  the  audience  broke  up, 
it  having  been  announced  previously  that  the  Tent  and 
Town  Hall  would  be  lighted  in  the  evening,  that  music 
would  be  in  attendance,  and  an  opportunity  be  given  for 
social  and  festive  pleasures.  Numbers  gathered  in  each, 
and,  cheered  by  music  and  speeches,  passed  a  pleasant 
evening ;  while  others  tripped  it  on  the  light  fantastic  toe 
till,  at  a  seasonable  hour,  they  retired  to  their  homes  or 
those  of  their  friends  to  feel  that  the  entire  Centennial 
Celebration  had  been  an  appropriate  tribute  to  those  who 
founded  the  institutions  of  municipal,  social,  and  business 
life  that  exist  here. 


PUBLIC      EXERCISES. 


I.     VOLUNTARY  BY   THE   CHOIR, 
"Hail  to  thee,  Liberty!" 


IL    INVOCATION. 
By  Rev.  J.  W.  Mowry,  of  the  Methodist  Church. 

A  LMIGHTY  GOD,  we  thank  thee  that  thou  hast  given  us 
existence  ;  that  thou  hast  permitted  us  to  live  in  the  time 
we  do,  and  under  the  circumstances  by  which  we  are  surrounded. 
We  thank  thee  that  thou  hast  given  us  a  goodly  heritage  ;  that 
thou,  in  thy  providence,  didst  permit  our  fathers  to  locate  them- 
selves in  the  midst  of  these  valleys  and  hills.  We  thank  thee  that 
so  many  of  their  children  and  of  their  children's  children  are 
spared  till  the  present  time  ;  that  not  only  these  are  permitted  to 
assemble  who  here  reside,  but  others  from  afar.  Though  some, 
in  coming,  have  left  graves  and  friends,  yet,  under  circumstances 
of  great  mercy,  we  meet  to  congratulate  each  other  in  relation 
to  this  happy  event.  We  pray  thy  blessing  to  be  upon  us.  May 
every  thing  be  done  decently  and  in  order.  May  impressions  be 
made  upon  our  minds  that  we  shall  carry  down  to  our  graves, 
and,  through  rich  grace,  may  we  all  be  prepared  finally  for  the 
richer  and  more  glorious  inheritance  and  home  on  the  other 
shore,  where  we  will  praise  thy  name  for  evermore,  through 
Christ  our  Redeemer.     Amen. 

Rev.  Henry  R*  Smith,  of  the  Unitarian  Church,  read 
the 

III.    SCRIPTURE    SELECTIONS. 

/^NE  generation  passeth  away,  and  another  generation  cometh  ; 

but  the  earth  abideth  for  ever. 
O  Lord,  how   manifold  are  thy  works  !   in  wisdom  hast  thou 
made  them  all :  the  earth  is  full  of  thy  riches. 


22  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

Except  the  Lord  build  the  house,  they  labor  in  vain  that  build  it : 
except  the  Lord  keep  the  city,  the  watchman  waketh  but  in  vain. 

Remember  the  days  of  old,  consider  the  years  of  many  genera- 
tions :  ask  thy  father,  and  he  will  show  thee  ;  thy  elders,  and  they 
will  tell  thee. 

Remember  the  former  things  of  old  :  for  I  am  God,  and  there 
is  none  else ;  I  am  God,  and  there  is  none  like  me. 

Declaring  the  end  from  the  beginning,  and  from  ancient  times 
the  things  that  are  not  yet  done,  saying,  My  counsel  shall  stand, 
and  I  will  do  all  my  pleasure.  Yea,  I  have  spoken  it,  I  will  also 
bring  it  to  pass  ;  I  have  purposed  it,  I  will  also  do  it. 

Hearken  unto  me,  ye  stout-hearted,  I  bring  near  my  righteous- 
ness ;  it  shall  not  be  far  off,  and  my  salvation  shall  not  tarry. 
Remember  this,  and  show  yourselves  men. 

Behold,  I  come  quickly  ;  and  my  reward  is  with  me,  to  give 
every  man  according  as  his  work  shall  be. 

I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  end,  the  first 
and  the  last. 

Blessed  are  they  that  do  his  commandments,  that  they  may 

have  right  to  the  tree  of  life,  and  may  enter  in  through  the  gates 

into  the  city. 

— « — 

IV.    HYMN. 


V.    PRAYER. 
By  Rev.  Edwin  Smith,  of  the  Congregational  Church. 

/^  LORD  our  God,  with  thanksgiving  in  our  hearts,  and  words 
of  praise  and  gratitude  upon  our  lips,  we  would  now  come 
before  thee,  rejoicing  in  thee,  who  art  our  fathers'  God,  and  who 
art  the  God  of  their  children,  even  unto  the  latest  generation. 
Thou,  our  Lord,  hast  been  our  dwelling-place  in  all  generations. 
Before  the  mountains  were  brought  forth,  or  ever  thou  hadst 
formed  the  earth  or  the  world,  even  from  everlasting  to  everlast- 
ing thou  art  God.  Thou  turnest  men  to  destruction  and  sayest, 
Return,  ye  children  of  men.  A  thousand  years  in  thy  sight  are 
but  as  yesterday  when  it  is  passed,  or  as  a  watch  in  the  night. 
As  we  come  together  this  morning  from  our  homes  and  from  our 
various  fields  of  toil,  we  would  call  upon  our  souls,  and  all  the 


PUBLIC    EXERCISES.  23 

powers  which  thou  hast  given  unto  us,  to  praise  and  magnify  the 
name  of  our  God.  We  would  adore  thee  as  our  fathers'  God,  as 
their  Creator,  as  their  Preserver ;  we  would  adore  thee  as  our 
Creator,  our  Preserver  ;  and  this  morning  we  rejoice  in  the  way  in 
which  thou  hast  led  us  during  these  years  that  are  gone  by,  and 
from  the  very  depths  of  our  hearts  we  would  cry  out,  "  What 
shall  we  render  unto  the  Lord  for  all  his  benefits  toward  us." 
Surely  thou  hast  led  us  beside  the  still  waters,  and  in  the  green 
pastures,  and  we  would  magnify  thy  name  this  morning.  We 
realize  at  this  time  that  it  is  thy  mercy  that  has  spared  us  ;  it  is 
thy  love  that  has  watched  over  us,  guiding  our  steps  in  all  our 
various  ways.  It  is  thy  kind  care  which  has  brought  us  home 
together ;  and  now,  as  we  assemble  on  this  glad  festive  occasion, 
we  pray  that  our  hearts  all  may  be  full  of  love  and  gratitude. 
Let  none  of  us  feel  that  through  our  own  strength,  through  our 
own  power,  we  have  been  kept,  through  our  own  strength  we 
are  here  to-day,  but  through  the  power  and  through  the  strength 
which  thou  dost  give.  We  thank  thee  that  thou  didst  lead  the 
footsteps  of  our  fathers  among  these  hills  and  valleys.  We  at 
this  hour  recall  the  scenes  through  which  they  passed.  We  recall 
the  struggles  and  the  deprivations,  the  hours  of  toil  and  of  disap- 
pointment which  were  theirs.  We  thank  thee  that  thou  wast 
with  them  in  the  midst  of  all  these  scenes ;  that  thou  didst  never 
leave  them  nor  forsake  them.  Thou  didst  cause  them  to  feel  that 
the  Eternal  God  was  their  refuge,  and  that  underneath  them  were 
the  everlasting  arms.  We  pray,  our  Father,  that  to-day  we  may 
realize  how  great  the  price  that  has  been  paid  for  the  blessing  we 
enjoy.  As  we  look  upon  these  green  hills,  upon  these  fertile  val- 
leys, upon  these  pleasant  homes  and  farms  scattered  all  over  this 
vicinity,  may  we  remember  the  trials  and  struggles  through  which 
the  early  settlers  passed,  and  may  we  remember  that  as  the  path 
to  life  lies  over  death,  so  the  path  to  joy  and  peace  and  prosper- 
ity lies  over  these  perils  and  ti"ibulations  and  struggles  through 
which  our  fathers  passed.  Our  fathers  went  forth  in  sadness  and 
in  tears,  sowing  precious  seed.  We,  their  sons  and  their  daugh- 
ters, to-day  come  back  with  rejoicing,  bringing  many  sheaves  with 
us.  O  that  our  hearts  may  praise  the  Lord  for  his  kindness  unto 
us,  and  to  all  our  kindred  and  friends  !  And  now  we  implore  thy 
blessing  upon  this  vast  company.     Grant  unto  all  of  them  that 


24  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

peace  which  passeth  all  understanding ;  and  we  pray  that  this 
gathering  may  bring  us  nearer  and  nearer  to  thee,  nearer  and 
nearer  to  each  other.  May  it  bind  us  more  closely  together  in 
one  common  bond  of  brotherhood.  And  wilt  thou  bless  all  the 
homes  here  repi'esented.  Let  the  beaut}'  of  the  Lord  our  God  be 
upon  us ;  and  wilt  thou  establish  the  work  of  our  hands,  yea,  the 
work  of  our  hands  establish  thou  it.  And  we  pray,  our  Father, 
that  as  none  of  us  have  come  here  without  some  effort  and  some 
preparation,  so  may  we  feel  that  a  preparation  is  needful  for  that 
great  home-gathering  above  ;  and  we  pray  that  we  may  be  in 
earnest,  that  we  may  live  well,  that  we  may  be  faithful  in  that 
which  is  least  as  well  as  in  that  which  is  greatest,  that  all  our 
lives  may  be  such  that  at  the  last  upon  us  all  may  fall  the  words, 
"  Thou  hast  been  faithful  over  a  few  things,  I  will  make  thee  ruler 
over  many  things  ;  "  and  when  that  great  company  which  no  man 
can  number  shall  be  gathered  from  every  kindred,  tongue,  and 
nation  under  the  whole  heaven,  we  pray  that  all  of  us  may  be 
found  there  ;  that  from  these  homes,  these  fathers  and  mothers, 
these  parents  and  these  children,  there  may  all  be  gathered. 
Hear  thou  our  prayer,  forgive  thou  our  sins,  be  thou  our  God 
and  our  Guide,  never  leaving  us  or  forsaking  us,  impressing  all 
our  hearts  with  the  truth,  that  except  the  Lord  keep  the  city  the 
watchman  waiteth  in  vain,  except  the  Lord  build  the  house,  they 
labor  in  vain  that  build  it.  Be  thou  our  comforter  and  helper, 
and  accept  us  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 


ADDRESS. 

By  Dr.  George  Brown,  the  President  of  the  Day. 

By  order  of  the  General  Committee  of  Arrangements,  it  is  made 
my  duty  to  occupy  for  a  few  moments  the  attention  of  this  large 
assemblage  of  citizens  from  this  and  neighboring  towns,  distant 
cities  and  villages,  who  have  gathered  here  to  revisit  the  scenes  of 
their  youth. 

You  have  come,  as  sons  and  daughters  of  Barre,  with  numerous 
guests  from  abroad,  —  leaving  behind  for  this  day  business  and 
professional  cares,  —  to  stand  upon  this  horizon  that  divides  the  two 
centuries,  and  look  back  with  us  over  the  past  in  commemoration 
of  our  fathers,  entering  in  fulness  of  enjoyment  into  the  results 


PUBLIC    EXERCISES.  ,  25 

of  their  toils  and  the  abundance  and  comforts  accumulated  from 
their  hardships  and  poverty. 

This  morning  on  every  side  you  see  proofs  of  their  wise  care 
and  self-abnegation  for  the  welfare  of  us  of  this  generation,  — 
institutions  of  learning,  public  order,  morality,  and  religion, — 
beautiful  fields  freed  from  the  wilderness  and  forest  by  their  sin- 
ewy arms  ;  here  are  the  foundations  of  their  dwellings  ;  here,  too, 
are  their  sacred  graves. 

In  these  ancient  dwellings,  humble  though  they  were,  has  been 
transacted  a  history  of  joys  and  sorrows,  thanksgivings  that  a 
living  child  was  born,  watchings  over  the  opening  mind  and  glow- 
ing features  of  childhood,  aftections  binding  young  hearts  stronger 
than  clasps  of  steel,  soothing  sickness,  pain,  and  death,  —  prayers 
from  the  domestic  altar  invoking  God's  blessing  upon  all  the  in- 
terests of  each  one. 

Here,  amid  the  throes  of  the  revolution,  one  hundred  years  ago, 
one  year  before  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  when  all  hearts  were 
most  intensely  stirred  by  the  great  questions  of  that  day,  our 
fathers  planted  the  foundation-stones  of  our  municipal  existence 
as  a  town,  by  the  act  of  incorporation. 

You  have  come  with  us  to  celebrate  this  day,  and  enjoy  in 
gladness  and  congratulations  the  commingling  of  our  common 
sentiments  and  sympathies  as  we  with  reverence  scrape  away  the 
accumulated  dust  of  one  hundred  years  from  around  this  first  stone 
our  fathers  planted  here,  and  to  consecrate  it  anew  with  our  pray- 
ers, joys,  and  hopes,  and  entwine  it  with  fresh  garlands  of  love 
and  veneration.  To  this  festival  of  history,  sentiment,  and  song  I 
welcome  you,  one  and  all,  and  congratulate  you  upon  the  favor- 
able circumstances  under  which  we  meet,  and  express  the  high 
gratification  all  feel  who  have  had  to  do  with  the  arrangements 
at  seeing  all  around  me  animated  by  feelings  so  much  in  har- 
mony with  the  occasion. 

It  remains  but  for  me  to  add  that  the  printed  order  of  exer- 
cises to  be  followed  is  before  you. 

The  children  of  the  Public  Schools,  under  the  direction 
of  Mr.  Chauncey  Loring,  numbering  about  three  hun- 
dred, then  sang  the  two  stanzas  printed  in  the  programme, 
which  preceded  the  introduction  of  the  Orator  of  the  day. 

4   ^ 


DISCOURSE 


JAMES     W.     THOMPSON,      D.D. 


OF  BOSTON   (JAMAICA  PLAIN). 


" 'Tis  liberty  alone  that  gives  the  flower 
Of  fleeting  life  its  lustre  and  perfume; 
And  we  are  weeds  without  it.     All  constraint, 
Except  what  wisdom  lays  on  evil  men, 
Is  evil;  hurts  the  faculties,  impedes 
Their  progress  on  the  road  of  science,  blinds 
The  eye-sight  of  discovery,  and  begets 
In  those  that  suffer  it  a  sordid  mind, 
Bestial,  a  meagre  intellect,  unfit 
To  be  the  tenant  of  man's  noble  form." 


DISCOURSE. 


Mr.  President,  Sons  and  Daughters  of  Barre,  and 
Fellow-citizens  : 

I  RESPOND  to  your  hearty  greeting  with  thanks  and 
love. 

Proceeding  at  once  to  the  duty  before  me,  I  find  my 
task  to  lie  directly  in  the  line  of  that  sentiment  which 
binds  each  man  in  loyal  affection  to  his  birthplace,  to 
the  homes  and  haunts  of  his  childhood,  and  to  the 
graves  of  his  ancestors;  —  a  sentiment  vv^hich  is  familiar 
to  every  student  of  history,  and  to  which  the  historic 
instinct  bears  joyful  testimony  on  a  day  like  this. 
Under  the  ordinary  conditions  of  life,  this  sentiment 
becomes  stronger  with  the  increase  of  years,  and 
often  in  old  age,  when  the  mind  naturally  reverts  to 
early  experiences,  it  seeks  expression  in  some  perma- 
nent form  of  filial  remembrance  and  regard.  Notable 
among  the  bequests  and  endowments  which  mark  the 
advance  of  Christian  civilization  are  those  made  by 
men  and  women,  on  whom  prosperity  has  shed  its 
benignities,  for  the  founding  of  libraries,  the  establish- 
ing of  schools,  the  erection  of  halls,  and  other  objects 
of  local  benefit,  in  their  native  towns. 


30  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

And  this  sentiment,  as  it  suffers  no  diminution  of 
force  from  the  infirmities  of  age,  so  neither  is  it  weak- 
ened by  absence  or  by  distance.  Wherever  men 
travel,  sojourn,  or  have  their  permanent  abode,  though 
in  the  midst  of  scenes  more  attractive  to  the  stranger 
than  those  they  left  behind,  they  feel,  in  moments  of 
quiet  retrospection,  the  far-off  magnet  pulling  at  their 
heart-strings,  till  the  desire  to  see  again  the  goodly 
heritage  into  which  they  were  born  becomes  pain- 
fully urgent.  "  By  the  rivers  of  Babylon  there  we  sat 
down,  yea,  we  wept  when  we  remembered  Zion." 
To  the  transfiguring  imagination  what  a  mysterious 
charm  invests  the  venerated  spot!  To  memory  how 
dear  the  old  familiar  houses  and  the  friends  who  lived 
in  them!  Our  childhood's  home,  with  all  the  ob- 
jects that  are  beheld  from  it,  —  hills,  woods,  rocks, 
streams,  meadows,  —  how  does  it  cluster  with  asso- 
ciations of  youthful  pleasures,  toils,  dreams,  com- 
panionships; dashed,  alas!  in  an  hour  like  this  by 
imaofes  and  recollections  too  tender  for  words!  It  is 
surprising  how  many  things  two  friends  of  nearly  the 
same  age,  meeting  after  long  separation,  find  packed 
away  in  the  memories  of  their  common  birthplace 
with  which  to  interest  and  amuse  one  another;  how 
many  reminiscences  come  unbidden  to  give  a  glow 
and  sparkle  to  their  talk,  and  to  render  the  longest 
interview  too  short  for  the  never-finished  dialogue. 

Moved  by  this  powerful  sentiment,  the  inhabitants 
of  Barre,  by  their  Committee,  have  been  pleased  to 
invite  their  brethren  scattered  abroad,  and  whereso- 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  3I 

ever  resident,  to  meet  them  here  to-day  in  one  grand 
convocation  and  fellowship  of  love,  in  order  to  unite 
w^ith  them  in  commemorating  by  fit  observances  The 
One  Hundredth  Birthday  of  our  Beloved 
Tow^N.  What  response  their  invitation  has  met,  let 
the  thousands  crowding  this  spacious  tent,  and  the 
numerous  hands  that  have  been  grasped  in  fraternal 
recognition  and  sympathy,  bear  witness.  We  who 
are  their  honored  guests  have  had  time  as  yet  to 
glance  at  only  a  small  part  of  what  their  hands  have 
done  to  improve  and  adorn  the  place;  but  we  have 
stood  here  this  morning  gazing  on  the  magnificent 
panorama  which  the  Creator's  hand  has  spread  out 
within  the  sweep  of  this  large  horizon,  only  to  be 
filled  with  fresh  admiration  and  delight  by  the  spec- 
tacle. At  this  refulgent  season  all  is  life  and  beauty. 
The  venerable  matron,  whom  we  proudly  greet  as  the 
mother  of  us  all,  is  clothed  in  her  richest  apparel,  and 
"  the  smell  of  her  garments  is  like  the  smell  of  Leb- 
anon." Her  children,  a  great,  glad  multitude,  rise 
up  before  her,  with  hearts  full  of  love,  and  call  her 
blessed. 

It  is  a  birthday  that  we  commemorate,  —  the  birth- 
day of  a  tozvn.  But  what  is  there  in  that,  a  stranger 
to  our  institutions  might  ask,  of  particular  signifi- 
cance? It  may  be  well,  therefore,  to  pause  a  mo- 
ment before  taking  up  the  thread  of  our  history  to 
notice  this  question. 

The  answer  is  found  in  the  social  and  political 
importance  of  the  towns   of  New  England,  particu- 


32  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

larly  during  the  colonial  period  of  our  history.  The 
towns  or  "  plantations "  were  the  original  sources 
whence  the  representative  government  derived  its 
powers.  Thus  they  were  related  to  the  govern- 
ment, not  as  dependent  on  its  care,  or  amenable  to  its 
authority,  but  as  moulding  its  form  and  determining 
its  character.  They  never  gave  up  their  political 
individuality,  nor  sunk  their  own  vigor  in  the  govern- 
ment which  they  created.  They  carefully  reserved 
to  themselves  certain  rights  and  immunities  in  respect 
to  which  they  meant  to  be  perfectly  independent  and 
self-controlled.  With  these  they  could  brook  no 
interference.  This  independence  of  the  towns  is 
believed  to  have  contributed  very,  largely  to  the  intel- 
ligence, stability,  and  prosperity  of  the  New  England 
States.  It  did  not  escape  the  notice  of  that  philo- 
sophical student  of  the  institutions  of  this  country, 
De  Tocqueville.  Writing  of  this  part  of  the  United 
States,  he  observes  that  here  "  political  life  had  its 
origin  in  the  townships;  and  it  may  almost  be  said 
that  each  of  them  originally  formed  an  independent 
natioji,  .  .  .  Amongst  the  inhabitants  of  New  Eng- 
land, I  believe  that  not  a  man  is  to  be  found  who  would 
acknowledge  that  the  State  has  any  right  to  interfere 
in  their  town  affairs."*  The  "little  democracies,"  in 
their  self-regulated  meetings,  prior  to  the  Revolution, 
not  only  acquired  the  art  of  administering  their  own 
affairs  with  facility  and  prudence,  but,  by  their  dis- 
cussions  and   the   independent    spirit  they   nurtured, 

*  Democracy  in  America,  I.  8i,  82. 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  33 

wrought  mightily  in  the  interest  of  public  liberty. 
The  accomplished  historian  of  "The  Siege  of  Bos- 
ton "  tells  us  that  "so  important  were  these  little  local 
assemblies  regarded  that  the  absentee  from  them  was 
fined;  ...  so  wide  was  the  range  of  subjects  discussed 
by  them  that  the  debates  ran  from  a  simple  question 
of  local  finance  to  general  questions  of  Provincial  law 
and  human  rights;  so  great  was  their  political  effect 
that  the  credit  has  been  assigned  them  of  having  com- 
menced the  American  Revolution."  *  In  an  interest- 
ing letter  of  the  elder  President  Adams  to  the  Abbe 
de  Mably,  1782,  he  mentions  four  principal  institutions 
which  produced  a  decisive  effect  "  in  the  first  resolu- 
tions to  resist  in  arms "  the  oppressions  of  Great 
Britain  :  i.  The  towns  or  districts.  2.  The  congre- 
gations. 3.  The  schools.  4.  The  militia.  Referring 
to  the  towns,  he  describes  them  as  containing  upon 
the  average  about  six  miles  square,  and  the  inhabi- 
tants as  "  being  formed  by  law  into  bodies  politic  with 
certain  rights,  among  which  was  the  right  to  assemble 
whenever  they  are  summoned  by  their  selectmen  in 
their  town-halls,  there  to  deliberate  upon  the  public 
affairs  of  the  town,  or  to  give  instructions  to  their 
representatives  in  the  legislature.  ...  It  was  in  these 
assemblies  of  towns  that  the  sentiments  of  the  people 
were  formed  in  the  first  place,  and  their  resolutions 
were  taken  from  the  beginning  to*the  end  of  the  dis- 
putes and  the  war  with  Great  Britain."  f     Bancroft 

*  History  of  the  Siege  of  Boston,  p.  8. 

t  Tlie  Life  and  Works  of  John  Adams,  V.  495. 


34  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

writes  to  the  same  effect:  "Each  of  these  Httle  terri- 
tories, for  its  internal  purposes,  constituted  a  separate 
integral  government,  free  from  supervision,  having 
power  to  choose  its  own  officers;  to  hold  meetings  of 
all  freemen  at  its  own  pleasure;  to  discuss  in  those 
meetings  any  subject  of  public  interest;  ...  to  elect 
and  instruct  its  representatives;  to  raise  and  appro- 
priate money  for  the  support  of  the  ministry,  of 
schools,  of  highways,  of  the  poor,  and  for  defraying 
other  necessary  expenses."  *  These  testimonies  to 
the  political  importance  of  the  town,  self-governed 
and  an  integral  part  of  the  state,  are  confirmed  by  the 
judgment  of  all  reflecting  men.  Every  such  town  was 
a  nursery  of  freemen.  It  bred  men  to  do  their  own 
thinking,  accustomed  them  to  the  exercise  of  their 
civil  rights,  and  breathed  into  them  the  spirit  to 
maintain  and  defend  them.  It  was,  also,  a  school  for 
the  education  of  legislators,  magistrates,  orators,  and 
statesmen;  for,  on  a  limited  scale,  the  town-meeting 
brought  up  for  discussion  most  of  the  abstract  ques- 
tions, as  well  as  many  of  the  more  practical,  which 
were  debated  in  legislatures  and  cabinets.  The  town- 
meeting  was  a  little  parliament.  A  trained  watchful- 
ness over  the  interests  of  these  smaller  municipalities 
was  the  best  preparation  for  efficient  service  in  the 
broader  spheres  of  the  commonwealth  and  country. 
Here,  too,  the  ballof  first  came  to  be  generally  appre- 
ciated. It  created  in  the  holder  of  it  a  certain  self- 
respect  and  consciousness  of  power.    It  was  with  him 

*  Bancroft's  History  of  the  United  States,  IV.  14S. 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  35 

a  loaded  word,  outweighing  arguments  and  making 
fate.  It  was  his  title  of  nobility,  and  rendered  each 
one  who  possessed  it  the  peer  of  every  other.  When 
a  question  was  taken  by  the  hand  votes  of  the  citi- 
zens all  hands  were  of  equal  power;  and  "this  appar- 
ent equality  in  the  decision  of  questions,"  the  patriot 
James  Otis  said,  "  taught  every  man,  practically,  the 
greatest  principle  of  a  republic,  that  the  majority  must 
govern.    * 

It  is  not  to  be  forgotten,  moreover,  that  the  country 
towns  were  the  feeders  of  the  capital,  supplying  it  not 
only  with  products  of  the  soil,  but  also  with  a  large 
part  of  its  brain-power.  The  fact  is  the  same  to-day. 
It  is  hazarding  little  to  say,  that  of  those  engaged  in 
lucrative  pursuits  in  Boston  and  the  other  cities  of 
Massachusetts,  a  majority  of  the  most  sagacious,  ener- 
getic, and  successful  received  their  education  and 
their  earliest  impulses  in  the  direction  of  self-support 
and  that  employment  of  time  and  talents  which  wins 
prosperity,  from  the  firesides,  the  school-houses,  and 
the  meeting-houses  of  the  rural  towns.  Examples 
of  pre-eminent  success  in  the  city-bred,  especially 
if  born  to  large  inheritance,  are  quite  exceptional. 
Therefore  the  birth  of  a  town  during  the  period  of 
our  colonial  existence  was  an  event  of  great  social 
and  political  importance. 

And  now,  brethren  of  Barre,  under  the  spell  of 
those  remembrances  which  come  both  to  cheer  and 
to  chasten  the  hour,  your  attention  is  invited  whilst  I 

*  Tudor's  Life  of  James  Otis,  p.  446. 


36  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

endeavor  to  set  forth  before  you,  in  a  rapid  sketch, 
some  of  the  more  marked  features,  persons,  incidents, 
and  events  which  render  the  birthday  of  this  our  own 
town  memorable.  Dealing  largely  in  details,  no  poetic 
charm  invests  the  treatment  of  my  theme,  and  the 
only  eloquence  it  admits  of  is  that  of  its  simple  facts. 
If,  therefore,  your  patience  shall  be  severely  tried,  find 
what  relief  3''ou  can  in  the  reflection  that  such  long- 
suffering  can  be  demanded  of  3^ou  but  once  in  a 
century. 

One  hundred  years  ago,  June  17,  1774,  the  town 
which  now  bears  the  name  of  Barre  was  incorporated 
by  the  name  of  Hutchinson.  It  had  had  an  inchoate 
existence,  of  course,  and  been  known  by  other  names, 
before  this  date.  The  materials  of  a  town  were  here. 
Here  was  the  soil  in  its  primeval  richness  and  variety, 
with  the  same  beautiful  range  of  hills  on  the  east,  and, 
in  the  distance,  blue-robed  Wachusett  clearly  visible 
from  base  to  summit;  the  same  ascending  slope  from 
the  centre  on  the  north;  the  same  descent  to  the 
plain,  where,  through  the  fertile  meadow,  flows  the 
quiet  river  on  the  south;  the  same  undulations  and 
levels  on  the  west;  and,  interlacing  all,  the  same  rip- 
pling brooks  and  swift-running  streams  with  their 
dashing  waterfalls  which  we  now  behold.  Settlers 
were  also  here  in  considerable  numbers.  Who  they 
were  and  how  they  came  to  be  here  will  be  made  to 
appear  as  we  proceed. 

But  first  let  us  examine  our  title  to  the  soil.     On 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  37 

the  2  2cl  of  December,  1686,  an  indenture  was  made 
between  Joseph  Trask,  alias  Paagushen,  of  Penni- 
cooke,  and  Job,  alias  Pompomamy,  of  Natick,  and 
Simon  Piticum,  alias  Wananacompon,  of  Wamisick, 
and  Sosowannow,  of  Natick,  and  James  Wiser,  alias 
Qiialapunit,  of  Natick,  —  these  five  Indians  dwelling 
in  his  Majesty's  territory  in  America,  —  all  the  above- 
named  of  the  one  party,  and  Henry  Willard,  Joseph 
Rowlandson,  Joseph  Foster,  Benjamin  Willard,  Cyp- 
rian Stevens,  of  the  other  party,  by  which  indent- 
ure, in  consideration  of  "  twenty-three  pounds  in 
hand  paid,"  the  said  "  Indians,  for  themselves  and  all 
their  heirs,  executors,  administrators,  and  assigns,  did 
freely,  fully,  and  absolutely  give,  grant,  bargain,  sell, 
alien,  enfeoflfe,  make  over,  and  confirm  unto  the 
above-named  Willard,  Rowlandson,  Foster,  Benja- 
min Willard,  and  Stevens,  their  heirs,  executors, 
administrators,  and  assigns,  a  certain  tract  of  land 
containing  twelve  miles  square  according  to  the  butts 
and  bounds  as  described  in  the  indenture."  This 
instrument  is  dated  "■  A7Z7zo  Regni  Regis  Jacob.  Secund. 
1686,"  and  is  duly  signed  and  acknowledged,  March 
15,  1686. 

This  grant  contained  all  the  territory  which  is  now 
included  in  the  towns  of  Rutland,  Oakham,  Hubbard- 
ston,  and  Barre,  with  small  portions  of  Princeton 
and  Paxton.  The  brothers  Willard,  whose  names 
appear  in  the  instrument,  were  sons  of  that  distin- 
guished Major  Simon  Willard,  who  bore  a  conspicu- 
ous part  in  the  civil  and  military  affairs  of  the  colony 


38  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

for  at  least  thirty  years  prior  to  1675.  But  as  his 
fame,  so  honorable  in  his  day  and  so  long  preserved, 
is  amongst  the  best  treasures  of  our  sister  town  of 
Lancaster,  where  he  passed  the  later  years  of  his  life, 
and  where  his  dust  reposes;  and  as  none  of  his  de- 
scendants had  other  connection  with  this  town  than 
already  indicated,  I  refrain  from  a  more  extended 
notice  of  him  or  his  posterity,  simply  remarking  that 
the  name,  wherever  known,  still  retains  untarnished 
its  original  honor  and  worth. 

At  this  date,  then,  1686,  and  by  this  instrument, 
the  soil  of  our  town  passed  from  its  Indian  occupants 
and  became  the  property  of  civilized  man;  and  thus 
the  initial  step  was  taken  for  converting  a  "  waste, 
howling  wilderness  into  a  fruitful  field." 

Nearly  thirty  years  elapsed  from  the  above  date 
before  any  farther  action  was  taken  regarding  the 
ownership  or  the  settlement  of  this  territory.  But 
not  far  from  the  end  of  that  interval,  to  wit,  Febru- 
ary 23,  1 7 13,  an  act  was  obtained  from  the  General 
Court  confirming  to  the  heirs  of  the  Willards  the 
Indian  title  of  1686,  ^' provided  th.3it  within  seven  years 
sixty  families  be  settled  in  the  territory."  In  order  to 
effect  such  a  settlement,  the  owners,  who  were  of 
small  means,  associated  with  them  several  gentlemen 
of  substance,  who  together  constituted  a  "  Proprietors* 
Company."  The  names  of  these  associates  are  here 
inserted:  Hon.  William  Tailer,  Esq.,  of  Dorchester; 
Penn  Townsend,  Paul  Dudley,  Addington  Davenport, 
Adam     Winthrop,    Thomas     Hutchinson,    Esquires, 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  39 

Thomas  Fitch,  merchant,  John  White,  gentleman, 
all  of  Boston;  Thomas  How,  Esq.,  of  Marlboro';  John 
Chandler,  Esq.,  of  Woodstock;  William  Dudley,  Esq., 
of  Roxbury;  John  Farnsworth,  of  Groton,  yeoman; 
the  children  and  heirs  of  Peter  Bulkely,  late  of  Con- 
cord, deceased,  and,  in  right  of  said  Peter,  Moses 
Parker  of  Chelmsford,  yeoman;  and  Jacob  Stevens,  of 
Stow,  yeoman. 

Seven  years  were  allowed,  it  will  be  remembered, 
in  which  to  settle  sixty  families  on  the  grant.  When 
the  seven  years  were  completed  it  was  found  that  the 
condition  had  been  fulfilled;  and  on  the  i8th  of  June, 
1722,  an  act  was  passed  "for  the  further  establishing 
of  the  town  of  Rutland,"  and  empowering  the  inhab- 
itants to  "  choose  all  proper  officers,  and  to  raise  and 
collect  all  moneys  for  the  defraying  the  necessary 
charges  of  the  said  town." 

Thus  another  step  in  the  progress  of  events  towards 
the  incorporation  of  Barre  was  taken. 

Several  of  the  sixty  families  who  settled  Rutland 
had  their  residences  in  this  part  of  the  town,  and  oth- 
ers were  added  to  them  from  time  to  time  till  the 
Proprietors,  at  a  meeting  held  November  7,  1733, 
passed  several  votes  having  reference  to  the  formation 
here  of  a  new  town.  They  voted  (i)  that  "  some  spot 
as  near  the  centre  of  the  '  North-west  Quarter '  (the 
name  by  which  this  part  of  Rutland  was  then  desig- 
nated) as  convenience  allows,  be  found  and  pitched 
upon  for  setting  a  meeting-house  in  the  midst  of  some 
considerable  quantity  of  good  land  fit  for  settlement ; 


40  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

(2)  that  one  lot  for  the  minister  ordained  there,  and 
another  lot  for  the  school  for  ever,  each  of  fifty  acres 
of  good  land,  be  laid  out  in  a  convenient  place  near 
said  spot  pitched  upon  for  the  meeting-house,  and 
marked  in  the  draft  M  for  minister  and  S  for  school; 

(3)  that  sixty-six  other  lots  of  good  land,  of  fifty 
acres  each,  as  near  as  may  be  to  the  said  spot  for  the 
meeting-house,  be  laid  out  for  homesteads;  and  when 
any  of  the  said  sixty-six  lots  fall  short  in  quality,  to 
be  made  up  in  quantity  ;  and  said  sixty-six  lots  to  be 
numbered,  in  order  to  be  drawn  for  in  some  conven- 
ient time  ;  (4)  that  convenient  highways  be,  at  the 
same  time,  laid  out  so  as  to  accommodate  the  several 
lots."  The  5th  article  acted  upon  at  this  meeting 
assessed  a  tax  of  £330  on  the  Proprietors  to  pay  the 
expenses.  The  6th  appointed  Capt.  John  Butolph 
collector  of  the  tax  for  the  Proprietors  in  Boston, 
Salem,  and  Marshfield  ;  and  Phineas  Brintnall,  of 
Sudbury,  for  the  rest  of  the  Proprietors.  The  7th 
appointed  John  Jeffries,   Esq.,  Treasurer. 

The  Proprietors,  it  is  here  seen,  with  that  forecast 
and  fidelity  to  their  convictions  of  duty  characteristic 
of  the  founders  of  the  colony,  amongst  their  first  acts, 
made  provision  for  the  Church  and  the  School,  the 
two  great  educators  of  society  in  religion  and  knowl- 
edge ;  and  thus  offered  new  inducements  to  those 
who  were  inclined  to  come  and  make  their  homes 
here. 

The  next  thing  necessary  in  forming  the  town  was 
to   have   the  whole   tract  surveyed  and  divided   into 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  4I 

lots  and  farms.  Henry  Lee,  of  Worcester,  applied 
for  the  contract  to  survey  ;  but  it  was  awarded  to 
Samuel  Willard,  who  immediately  associated  Lee 
with  him  ;  and  when  the  survey  was  completed,  its 
plans  bore  the  signature  of  Samuel  Willard,  con- 
tractor, and  Henry  Lee,  surveyor. 

This  Henry  Lee  was  the  father  of  five  sons,  all 
of  whom  settled  here.  He  was  born  in  Ipswich, 
May  16,  1686,  and  died  at  Concord,  February  25, 
1745.  He  was  a  man  of  considerable  note  in  his 
day,  as  is  evident  from  his  having  been  one  of  the 
Justices  of  the  Sessions  of  the  county  and  one  of  the 
selectmen  of  the  town  of  Worcester.  Though  never 
a  resident  in  this  place,  the  settlement  of  his  five  sons 
here  rendered  him  an  earnest  and  efficient  promoter 
of  the  prosperity  of  the  incipient  town. 

When  the  sixty-six  lots  of  fifty  acres  each  had  been 
.set  off,  the  remainder  was  divided  into  "thirty-three 
great  Farms  of  five  hundred  acres  each,  to  be  drawn 
for  by  the  Proprietors  at  a  convenient  time."  That 
time  was  not  far  distant.  The  lots  were  drawn  ;  and 
it  would  not  be  difficult,  with  a  map  before  us,  to 
point  out  the  farm  which  fell  to  each  Proprietor  and 
the  name  of  the  present  owner.  Most  of  these  farms 
were  at  once  put  into  market.  They  were  offered  on 
liberal  terms.  The  spirit  of  emigration  in  many  of 
the  lower  towns  was  alert,  and  soon  gave  most 
acceptable  additions  to  our  sparse  population.  Those 
who  bought  large  farms,  or  shares  in  them,  were  ad- 
mitted into  the  "  Proprietors'  Company,"  and  attended 

6 


42  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

their  meetings  in  Boston.  Thus,  on  June  6,  1739, 
James  Caldwell  was  present,  representing  one  half  of 
Great  Farm  No.  IX.  This  James  Caldwell  was  the 
eldest  son  of  William  Caldwell  and  Sarah  Morison 
his  wife,  who  came  to  this  country  from  Ireland  in 
1 7 18  or  1 7 19,  and  settled  in  Worcester.  He  remained 
there,  however,  not  many  years,  for  prior  to  the  year 
1730  he  had  removed  to  the  "North-west  Quarter." 
James  Caldwell,  tradition  says,  came  before  his  father, 
William,  and  "  lived  alo7ie  all  one  winter  tinder  a 
shelving  rock  !''''  then  built  a  house  —  the  first  framed 
house  in  the  place  —  where  now  stands  the  residence 
of  Caleb  Harwood.  He  is  said  to  have  acquired  the 
ownership  of  sixteen  hundred  acres  of  land  ! 

Dr.  Palfrey,  in  his  learned  "  History  of  New 
England,"  informs  us  that  "  A  hundred  and  twenty 
Scotch-Irish  families  came  over  in  17 19,  and  settled 
at  Londonderry,  in  New  Hampshire,  and  elsewhere^ . 
There  is  little  doubt  that  our  Caldwells  and  Cunning- 
hams were  a  part  of  this  immigration.  He  mentions 
another  curious  fact  in  this  connection,  which  I  am 
glad  to  state  on  his  authority.  It  relates  to  the  sin- 
gular freedom  from  admixture  which  the  English 
blood  of  the  early  immigrations  preserved  until  a 
quite  recent  date.  "No  race,"  he  observes,  "has 
ever  been  more  homogeneous  than  this  remained 
down  to  the  time  of  the  generation  now  upon  the 
stage.  With  a  near  approach  to  precision,  it  may  be 
said  that  the  millions  of  living  persons,  either  born 
in   New  England  or  tracing  their  origin  to  natives  of 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  43 

that  region,  are  descendants  of  the  twenty-one  thou- 
sand Englishmen  who  came  over  before  the  early- 
emigration  from  England  ceased  upon  the  meeting  of 
the  Long  Parliament."  *  In  our  settlement,  however, 
the  blood  got  a  little  mixed  ;  but  it  is  by  no  means 
certain  that  the  Scotch-Irish  infusion  did  not  invig- 
orate it.  At  any  rate,  the  town  never  had  reason  to 
be  sorry  that  the  immigrant  Caldwell  pitched  his 
family-tent  in  this  place. 

But  there  were  settlers  here  before  the  Lees  and 
Caldwells.  The  earliest,  it  is  believed,  was  Joshua 
Osgood,  born  in  Andover,  September  2,  1694,  who 
bought  a  farm  in  the  "North-west  Quarter"  in  1726. 
He  is  represented  to  have  been  a  substantial,  excel- 
lent citizen.  Both  he  and  his  wife  lived  to  a  very 
great  age,  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  their  duties  to 
God  and  man  ;  especially  heedful  of  that  most  ancient 
command,  "  Be  fruitful,  and  multiply,  and  replenish 
the  earth,"  —  their  posterity  numbering,  it  is  com- 
puted, not  less  than  twelve  hundred  souls  !  These 
descendants  appear  to  have  inherited  the  virtues  of 
their  ancestors,  those  of  them  who  continue  unto  this 
day  being  highly  respected  and  esteemed  citizens. 

A  little  later  came  two  important  and  influential 
settlers  from  Worcester, — Jotham  Rice  and  James 
Holden;  and  these  were  followed  in  a  few  years 
(1753)  by  Jonas  Rice  from  the  same  town.  The 
latter  was  a  son  of  Jonas  Rice,  the  "  first  settler  "  of 
Worcester,  known  in  its  annals  as  the  "  father  of  the 

*  Preface  to  Hist,  of  New  England.     By  John  G.  Palfrey. 


44  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

town."  He  filled  many  town  offices,  some  of  them 
to  the  close  of  his  life.  It  is  a  noteworthy  incident 
that  in  1753,  when  he  was  eighty  years  old,  he  was 
appointed  one  of  the  Justices  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas  for  Worcester  county,  in  which  office  he  died 
during  the  same  year.  Jonas,  the  son  who  came  to 
this  town,  was  for  many  years  a  deacon  of  the  church, 
and  died  in  1793,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years.  On 
the  same  farm  which  he  tilled  now  resides  his  grand- 
son, Francis  Rice,  ninety-two  j^ears  old,  who,  after 
having  appeared  mounted  on  his  spirited  horse  in 
the  cavalcade  of  the  morning,  now  honors  and  adorns 
this  platform  by  his  venerable  presence!  Jotham  Rice 
was  of  another  family,  though  from  the  same  town, — 
a  man  of  great  energy,  whom  no  hardships  could 
daunt,  no  dangers  alarm.  When  he  came,  there  were 
no  roads,  and  he  picked  his  way  through  the  woods 
between  here  and  Rutland  guided  by  marked  trees. 
It  is  a  family  tradition  that  he  brought  on  his  horse 
before  him  a  little  boy  but  four  years  old,  and  that 
they  spent  the  first  night  in  the  woods,  the  father 
placing  the  saddle  over  the  boy  to  protect  him  from 
the  rain,  and  kindling  a  fire  to  scare  away  the  wild 
animals.  Luckily,  the  young  Jotham  survived  the 
perils  of  that  night.  Barre  has  many  reasons  for 
thankfulness  that  he  neither  died  from  exposure  nor 
was  eaten  up  by  bears;  for  one  of  the  consequences 
of  his  preservation  is,  that  we  are  favored  with  the 
presence  to-day  of  many  excellent  men  by  the  name 
of  Rice,  and  many  handsome  women  who  once  bore 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  45 

that  name.  But  this  name  was  one  of  the  good  things 
which  those  women  could  not  very  well  keep  and 
follow  out  their  better  inclinations.  Marriage  proved 
fatal  to  it.  In  due  time,  from  this  one  seed  grew  up 
a  large  Rice  plantation  here  which  proved  highly 
productive.  For  steadiness  of  yield,  year  after  year, 
never  touched  by  frost  or  mildew,  and  for  excellence 
of  quality,  it  may  be  doubted  whether  any  other 
product  of  our  soil  has  done  better.  Cyrus  Rice,  who, 
it  is  presumed,  was  a  brother  of  Jotham,  lived  here  a 
short  time,  and  then  pushed  on  to  the  Connecticut 
river  and  became  the  pioneer  settler  of  the  town  of 
Conway.  Here  he  was  soon  joined  by  Israel  Gates 
and  Robert  Hamilton  of  this  town,  and  the  descend- 
ants of  these  three  men  have  been  among  the  most 
respected  inhabitants  of  Conway. 

Of  those  who  came  hither  about  the  time  of  the 
Rices  I  mentioned  the  name  of  James  Holden.  He 
was  evidently  a  man  of  character  and  weight,  since 
he  was  one  of  the  selectmen  of  Worcester  before 
his  removal  to  the  "  North-west  Quarter."  His 
descendants  have  been  highly  respectable.  Josiah, 
his  son,  was  father  of  James  and  Moses,  whom  some 
of  the  older  of  us  well  remember,  the  last  named  par- 
ticularly, he  having  been  a  very  active,  energetic,  and 
influential  citizen,  and  for  many  years  a  deacon  of 
the  church.  His  house  was  known  of  all  the  town  as 
a  seat  of  the  most  generous  hospitality  and  of  unmeas- 
ured charities.  Of  the  first  James  Holden  I  think 
there   may  be   here  to-day  descendants   of  the   fifth 


46  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

generation.  Whether  this  be  so  or  not,  I  lately  saw 
a  young  brood  of  them,  children  of  Mr.  J.  Otis  Weth- 
erbee,  of  Boston,  on  whom  any  ancestor  might  look 
with  pride  and  joy. 

But  as  the  writer  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews, 
pressed  by  the  number  of  worthies  crowding  his 
memory  for  distinct  recognition,  suddenly  breaks  off, 
saying,  "  The  time  would  fail  me  to  tell  of  Gideon 
and  Baruch  and  Samson  and  Jephtha,  of  David  also 
and  Samuel  and  the  prophets,"  so  it  would  utterly  fail 
me  to  tell  of  those  brave  pioneers,  Cunningham  and 
Davis  and  Heaton,  of  Stevens  and  Hill,  —  of  whom  I 
believe  no  relic  remains  amongst  us,  —  or  of  Marma- 
duke  Black,  commonly  known  as  "  the  Old  Duke,"  by 
birth  a  Scotchman,  who  lived  a  short  time  at  Nod- 
dle's Island  and  thence  removed  to  this  place,  where 
he  purchased  what  is  known  now  as  "  the  Silas  Bemis 
farm,"  and  became  a  man  of  much  influence;  or  of 
that  James  Black  who,  when  asked  by  James  Wilson 
for  one  of  his  daughters  in  marriage,  taking  the  meas- 
ure of  the  young  man,  answered,  "Ah,  Jamie!  you'd 
better  take  two  of  them,  for  one  will  never  be  able  to 
support  ye; "  or  of  Wallis  and  Forbush,  of  Nurss  and 
the  Metcalfs,  all  men  of  substance;  or  of  the  two 
brothers  Jonathan  and  Nehemiah  Allen,  the  former 
of  whom  set  out  the  first  orchard  in  the  place,  having 
brought  from  Lexington  forty  apple-trees  and  a  3'oung 
wife  on  the  back  of  his  horse!  All  these,  and  their 
offspring. and  their  good  works,  we  must  be  content  to 
leave  not  "  unhonored  ''  but  "  unsung."     Let  me  only 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  47 

mention  that  one  of  the  grandsons  of  Jonathan  Allen  — 
whose  memory  shall  live  as  long  as  there  is  an  apple- 
tree  in  Barre  —  a  graduate  of  Amherst  College,  has 
gained  a  widely  extended  reputation  as  an  original 
investigator  in  physiological  science,  and  has  recently 
been  honored  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  by 
his  alma  mater.  He  has  also  distinguished  himself 
as  a  practical  and  sagacious  philanthropist  by  ten 
years'  service  in  the  State  Board  of  Charities.  I  refer 
to  Nathan  Allen,  M.D.,  of  Lowell,  whom  Governor 
Talbot  has  lately  appointed  one  of  the  "  State  Com- 
missioners of  Lunacy,"  with  Wendell  Phillips  as  his 
colleague. 

All  these  heads  of  families,  and  others  to  the  num- 
ber of  nearly  thirty,  were  here  before  or  near  1750. 
They  were  for  the  most  part  a  God-fearing  people, 
and  highly  prized  those  ordinances  of  religion  which 
were  the  strength  and  glory  of  New  England.  But, 
although  the  Proprietors  from  time  to  time  made  ap- 
propriations for  the  support  of  public  worship  here, 
there  was  no  organized  church,  and  on  sacrament 
days  they  were  obliged  to  go  to  Rutland  in  order  to 
participate  in  the  holy  rite  of  communion.  The  dis- 
tance was  from  six  to  fourteen  miles,  and  in  some 
seasons  of  the  year  the  road  was  almost  impassable. 

Such  being  the  situation,  the  Proprietors,  with  con- 
siderate regard  for  their  own  interest,  as  well  as  for 
the  comfort  of  the  inhabitants,  at  a  meeting  held  at  the 
Light  House  Tavern  in  Boston,  Dec.  5,  1748,  at  which 
were  present  Mr.  Thomas  Prince,  John  Jeffries,  Esq., 


48  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

Samuel  Willard,  Esq.,  Jonas  Clark,  Esq.,  Thomas  Hub- 
bard, Esq.,  Captain  William  Salter,  Mr.  Thomas  Allen, 
Captain  Bartholomew  Cheever,  Mr.  Thomas  Taylor, 
and  Mr.  Noah  Sparhawk,  voted,  "  That  the  committee 
be  desired  to  prepare  and  sign,  as  soon  as  may  be,  a 
petition,  in  the  name  of  the  Proprietors,  to  the  General 
Court,  that  the  '  North-west  Quarter  '  of  said  township 
[of  Rutland]  may  be  erected  into  a  separate  town, 
and  that  a  plan  thereof  be  presented  to  the  General 
Court  at  the  same  time."  At  an  adjourned  meeting, 
Jan.  5th,  1748,  it  was  voted,  "That  the  committee,  in 
their  petition  to  the  General  Court,  insert  a  clause 
therein  praying  that  a  tax  of  six  pence  (old  tenor) 
upon  every  standard  acre  be  laid  for  five  years  next 
ensuing  on  all  the  lands  within  the  *  North-west  Quar- 
ter '  of  said  township  (the  land  granted  for  the  first 
Orthodox  minister  ordained  there,  and  for  the  use  of 
the  school  excepted),  for  ereciing  a  meeting-house^ 
settling  and  maintaining  a  minister^  a7td  laying  out 
and  clearing  all  roads  therein^ 

In  pursuance  of  these  votes,  the  Proprietors'  com- 
mittee presented  the  following  Petition,  which  is  inter- 
esting as  part  of  the  history  of  the  town,  and  especially 
as  showing  the  concern  manifested  by  the  Proprietors 
for  the  church  and  the  school:  — 


HISTORICAL   DISCOURSE.  49 


PETITION. 


To  His  Excellency  W'"  Shirley^  Esq.  Capt  General  &  Gov- 
ernour  in  Cheefe  in  <£;  over  His  AlaJ^'y^  Province  of  Massa- 
chusetts Bay  in  New  England  (&  Vice  Admiral  of  the 
sajne  &  to  the  Honourable  His  Maf^y  Council  <&  House  of 
Representatives  in    General  Court  assembled. 

The  petition  of  the  Committee  of  the  Proprietors  of  the  Town- 
ship of  Rutland  (the  Original  Settlers  part  excepted)  in  the 
County  of  Worcester  in  sd  Province  in  behalf  of  themselves  &  sd 
Proprietors  &  according  to  their  votes  &  directions,  Humbly 
sheweth.  That  the  sd  Proprietors  have  been  for  above  these  fifteen 
Years  at  great  &  Constant  Pains  &  Expense  of  time  and  many 
hundred  Pounds  in  Running  the  Bounds,  surveying  Dividing  & 
Laying  out  Lots,  finding  out  &  clearing  Roads,  Building  of 
Bridges,  selling  Inhabitants  &  paying  for  Preaching  in  the  North- 
western quarter  of  the  Town  ship  of  Rutland.  That  the  sd 
North  Westerly  Qiiarter  is  a  boute  the  Qiiantity  of  Six  miles 
Square  more  or  less  according  to  the  plan  herew*^*  exhibited 
bounded  East  North  Easterly  about  six  miles  on  the  North  Easterly 
Qiiarter  of  said  Township,  South  South  Easterly  aboute  six  miles, 
partly  on  the  original  settlers  Quarters  &  partly  on  the  West  wing 
of  sd  Township.  West  South  Westerly  about  six  Miles  partly  on 
Brantree  Grant  &  partly  on  Hardwick,  North  North  Westerly  on 
Nichaway  so  called.  That  there  are  now  Settled  on  sd  Quarter 
near  Thirty  famillys  consisting  of  above  one  hundred  souls  who 
stand  in  need  of  a  Settled  Gospel  Ministry  &  Ordinances  and 
the  Adult  are  Earnestly  Dessirous  of  them,  but  cannot  obtain 
them  without  a  propper  Encouragement  by  your  Excellency  & 
Honours.  That  the  sd  proprietors  in  view  of  sd  Quarter  being 
erected  into  a  Town  have  given  Laid  out  &  set  apart  a  fifty  acre 
lot  of  Choice  Good  Land  &  another  Farm  of  Two  Hundred 
Forty  seven  Acres  for  the  first  Orthodox  Minister  that  shall  be 
ordained  there,  and  a  fifty  acre  Lot  for  the  use  of  a  School  there 
forever. 

7 


50  BARRE   CENTENNIAL. 

And  therefore  your  petitioners  Earnestly  Desire  That  yr  Ex- 
cell"<^y  and  Plonours  would  in  your  great  wisdom  set  ofl'&  Erect 
the  sd  North  Western  Qimrter  with  all  the  Inhabitants  into  a 
Town  or  otherwise  into  a  seperate  District  with  all  the  priviledges 
&  powers  of  a  Town  so  far  as  to  Chuse  All  sorts  of  Town  Officers 
among  themselves  &  make  all  kinds  of  Rules  on  the  Inhabitants 
of  sd  District  for  building  houses  for  Publick  worship  settling  & 
maintaining  ministers  laying  out  &  making  Roads  &  for  all  other 
Services  of  a  Public  Nature  which  any  Towns  in  the  Province  are 
by  Law  Enabled  to  do,  only  reserving  to  themselves  the  Liberty 
allowed  by  Charter  &  the  Laws  of  joining  in  Common  with  the 
other  free  holders  of  sd  Township  in  chusing  &  being  Chosen 
Representatives  to  serve  in  the  gen'  assembly  as  also  desiring  the 
Power  of  assessing  Levelling  &  Raising  a  Tax  of  Six  pence  old 
Tenor  upon  every  standard  acre  in  sd  District  for  the  first  five 
Years  next  Ensuing  annually  for  the  purposes  above  said  Except- 
ing only  sd  land  granted  to  sd  ministers  &  school  wh.  sd  Tax 
in  their  present  Infant  &  feeble  state  of  less  than  Thirty  Families 
is  of  absolute  necesity  for  them.  And  your  petitioners  might  hum- 
bly offer  the  following  among  other  Weighty  Reasons  i )  The  sd 
Quarter  is  neerly  a  Square  body  of  generally  gcJod  Land  suitable 
&  sufficient  for  such  a  Town  or  District.  2  The  Centre  of  sd 
Quarter  is  aboute  Ten  miles  distant  from  the  place  of  Worship  of 
the  Original  settlers  &  some  parts  of  sd  Quarter  about  fourteen 
miles  off",  a  very  heavy  Inconvenience  either  to  be  warned  to  their 
common  Town  Meetings  or  to  attend  them  or  to  sei've  as  Town 
Officers  for  so  great  an  Extent,  &  3)  The  Inhabitants  of  the  Origi- 
nal Settlers  part  are  so  sensible  of  this  hardship  as  they  have 
expressed  their  willingness  above  four  years  and  nine  months  ago 
of  the  sd  North  Westerly  Qiiarter  being  deteeshed  from  them,  as 
appears  by  their  attested  vote  herewith  offered.  4  &  Lastly, 
Upon  your  Excellency  &  Honours  now  granting  the  sd  District 
there  are  so  many  people  straitened  in  other  places  ready  to  move 
into  this  as  affbrd  a  most  rational  prospect  that  in  case  of  another 
war  the  sd  Qiiarter  will  grow  so  full  of  people  as,  instead  of  need- 
ing soldiers  stationed  among  them  at  the  Publick  charge  for  their 
Defence,  they  will  not  only  be  sufficiently  able  with  the  Divine 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE. 


SI 


help  to  Defend  themselves  but  also  have  numbers  to  spare  for  the 
Defence  of  other  places  above  them 

And  your  Petitioners  shall  ever  pray  as  Bound,  &c. 


Thomas  Prince 
Jonas  Clarke 
Thomas  Hubbard 
Cornelius  Waldo 


Committee. 


The  Inhabitants  Do  hei'eby 
signing. 

John  Wallis 
W""  Caldw^ell  Jun' 
James  Holden 
James  Heaton 
Thomas  Tayler 
Marmaduke  Black 
Nathi   Davis 
James  Caldwell 
William  Caldwell 
Jonathan  Metcalfe 
Rob'   Cunningham 
Joseph  Metcalfe 
William  Forbush 
John  Caldwell 
Aprl  6,  1749. 


further  manifest  their  desire   by 

Joseph  Stevens 
Jabez  Hill 
James  Heaton  Jun"" 
George  Caldwell 
Matthew  Caldwell 
Thomas  Holden 
W-"  Caldwell  y^  3d 
Sam^    Heaton 
Timy  Nurss 
Israel  Gates 
Arth''   Forbush 
Abner  Lee 
Jo  them  Rice 
Benj"  Lee 


Li  the  House  of  Repr"  Ap^  14,  1749. 

Read  &  Ordered  That  the  Prayer  of  the  Petition  be  so  far 
Granted  that  the  Lands  in  the  North  Westerly  Quarter  of  the 
Town  Ship  of  Rutland  Described  in  sd  Petition  and  Delineated  in 
the  plan  presented  therewith  and  the  Inhabitants  thereon  be 
erected  into  a  Seperate  District  with  full  Power  to  choose  Town 
officers  Grant  &  raise  money  from  time  to  time  to  defray  the 
necessary  charges  arising  upon  sd  District  and  for  managing  ye 
other  afFares  Relating  to  ye  sd  District,  setling  a  minister,  Erect- 
ing a  meeting  house  Granting  &  making  all  needful  Roads  & 
highways,  together  with  all  other  powers  priviledges  &  immuni- 
ties ye  Towns  by  Law  enjoy  Saving  only  the  priviledge  of  sending 


52  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

one  or  move  Represent^^  to  the  general  Assembly  in  lieu  whereof 
there  is  hereby  declared  to  be  Reserved  to  them  the  sd  Inhab- 
itants all  &  every  ye  powers  rights  &  priviledges  of  joyning  with 
the  Town  of  Rutland  in  the  choice  of  Representatives  &  of  being 
chosed  to  Represent  sd  Town  w^hich  by  Law  they  now  may  or 
do  enjoy,  and  the  sd  Town  of  Rutland  are  hereby  required  to 
notify  the  sd  North  West  Quarter  of  all  meetings  for  the  choice 
of  Representatives  in  like  manner  as  they  now  by  Law  are 
required  to  notify  them.  And  it  is  further  ordered  that  Thomas 
Tayler  an  Inhabitant  of  sd  North  Weste  Qiiarter  be  hereby 
empowered  to  call  a  meeting  of  sd  District  for  the  choice  of 
Officers  for  the  present  year  on  the  fifteenth  of  June  next  to  be 
held  at  sd  place  of  which  he  is  to  give  notice  by  posting  up  a 
notification  in  some  publick  place  in  sd  Districk  seven  Days  at 
least  before  the  time  of  holding  sd  meeting.  Also  ordered  that 
the  Petitioners  notify  the  non  Resident  proprietors  of  the  Lands 
mentioned  in  sd  Petition  by  Inserting  the  substance  of  sd  Petition 
so  far  as  it  relates  to  a  Tax  in  the  Boston  Gazette  or  some  other 
publick  prints  three  Weeks  successively  That  they  shew  cause  if 
any  they  have  on  the  Second  Fryday  of  the  Next  May  Sessions 
why  the  prayer  thereof  Respecting  a  Tax  should  not  be  Granted. 
Sent  up  for  Concurrance 

T.  Hutchinson  Speak^ 

In  Co7i7icil  April  \\^  i749* 

Read  &  Concur^     J.  Wiixard,  Secty 
Consented  to     William  Shirley. 

Notice  was  given  by  Advertizement  in  the  Boston  Gazette  a 
copy  of  which  signed  by  Order  of  the  Committee, 

Jonas  Clark  props  clerk  is 
entered  upon  the  records. 

In  Council  June  13'*  i749* 

Read  again  and  it  appearing  that  the  Non  resident  Proprietors 

had  been  notified  agreeable  to  the  foregoing  order  and  no  answer 

or  objection  being  made,  therefore  ordered  that  there  be  a  Tax  of 

One  penny  half  penny  of  the  last  emition  per  acre  annually  be 


HISTORICAL   DISCOURSE.  53 

levied  &  assessed  upon  every  standard  Acre  in  the  North  Westerly 
Qiiarf  of  Rutland  now  erected  into  a  seperate  District  (Except- 
ing only  upon  the  Land  granted  to  the  Minister  &  school)  for  the 
Term  of  five  years  next  ensuing  for  erecting  a  meeting  House 
settling  &  maintaining  a  minister  &  laying  out  &  clearing  Roads 
therein  or  for  any  Other  service  of  a  Publick  nature  [and  the 
assessors  of  the  sd  District  for  the  time  being  are  hereby  Impovv^- 
ered  to  assess  the  proprietors  of  the  sd  lands  &  the  Collectors  or 
Constables  to  Collect  &  pay  in  the  same  to  the  Treasurer  of  the 
sd  District  for  the  time  being  accordingly]. 

Sent  down  for  Concurrance  by  ord""    of  the  Board 

John  Osborne. 

In  the  House  of  Rep r^"^^  Jtaze  19,  1749. 

Read  &  Concurred    J.  Dwight  Speaker. 

In  Coil ?icil  20,  1749- 

Read  &  Concurred       Sam'-   Holbrook  Depty  Secty 

Consenf^  to     W.  Shirley. 

N.  B.  The  final  passage  inserted  between  the  Two  Crotchets 
[  ]  was  added  by  the  council  &  agreed  to  by  the  house  of  rep- 
rest^^  &  consented  to  by  the  Governor. 

In  the  year  1749,  then,  the  North-west  Quarter  was 
incorporated  by  the  name  of  Rutland  District.  The 
inhabitants  acquired  a  legal  corporate  existence  with 
all  rights  belonging  to  a  town,  save  only  that  of  being 
represented  in  the  General  Court.  From  this  time 
they  begin  to  feel  working  in  them  that  spirit  of 
independence  which  town  governments  have  done  so 
much  to  foster.  They  are  no  longer  part  and  parcel 
of  a  municipality  whose  centre  is  far  distant,  nor 
under  the  rule  of  a  board  of  absentee  Proprietors. 
They    can    elect    officers,    lay    out    roads,    establish 


54  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

schools,  build  a  meeting-house,  settle  a  minister,  assess 
and  collect  taxes,  without  asking  anybod37's  leave. 
They  are  "  their  own  men."  They  discuss  the  inter- 
ests of  their  district,  manage  their  local  affairs,  are 
vigilant  for  the  rights  of  the  colonies,  upon  which  the 
mother-country  has  begun  already  to  make  encroach- 
ments, with  such  pride  and  sense  of  personal  liberty 
as  were  felt,  to  the  same  degree,  nowhere  on  earth 
as  in   the  towns  of  New  England. 

Let  it  be  here  observed,  that  in  all  their  consulta- 
tions the  Proprietors  appear  to  have  been  actuated  by 
a  generous  view  of  the  immediate  needs,  and  a  wise 
forecast  for  the  future  well-being,  of  the  settlement. 
At  a  meeting  held  in  Boston,  May  4,  1742,  they  took 
action  upon  these  articles:  (i)  "To  agree  with 
some  suitable  person  to  prepare  and  raise  the  frame 
of  a  meeting-house  within  the  '  North-west  Quarter,' 
of  such  dimensions  as  the  Proprietors  shall  deter- 
mine." (2)  "  To  give  some  encouragement  for  obtain- 
ing occasional  preacJiingP  Again,  at  an  adjourned 
meeting,  Sept.  i,  1743,  it  was  voted,  "That  i6£s 
(old  tenor)  be  allowed  and  paid  to  Mr.  John  Cald- 
well to  defray  the  charge  of  a  minister's  preaching 
to  the  inhabitants  of  the  '  North-west  Quarter '  one 
month  the  last  winter."  And  again,  Dec.  17,  1744^ 
it  was  voted  as  follows :  "  Some  of  the  settlers 
having  represented  the  great  difficulty  they  labor 
under  by  reason  of  their  distance  from  all  places  of 
publick  worship,  and  desiring  the  assistance  of  the 
Proprietors  toward  the  procuring  of  preaching  among 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  55 

themselves,  — Voted,  That  8o£s  (old  tenor)  be  allowed 
them  for  obtaining  preaching  for  one  year  next  com- 
ing, to  be  paid  to  such  as  the  settlers  shall  choose  a 
committee  for  that  purpose."  Similar  grants  for 
preaching  were  made  till  the  year  1750,  when  ioo£s 
was  voted.  At  the  same  date,  it  was  voted,  "  That 
I2£s  (old  tenor)  be  allowed  and  paid  to  John  Cald- 
well for  erecting  a  meeting-house  in  the  north-west- 
erly district  of  Rutland,  and  to  be  by  him  applied 
towards  the  charge  of  erecting  the  same."  Several 
years  earlier,  Dec.  27,  1744,  it  had  been  voted,  "To 
have  a  saw-mill  built  by  Samuel  Willard,  and  that 
he  take  an  obligation  to  keep  it  in  repair  fifteen  years, 
supply  boards  to  build  a  meeting-house  and  house  of 
minister  for  3£s  (old  tenor)  per  thousand;  and  sell  pro- 
prietors and  settlers  boards  at  4£s  per  thousand;  and 
to  saw  logs  brought  to  the  mill  at  the  halves." 

In  these  provisions  we  see  the  initial  steps  towards 
a  house  of  worship  and  the  stated  preaching  of  the 
gospel.  The  work  of  building  a  meeting-house  went 
forward  rather  slowly;  but  in  the  year  1753  they  had 
the  satisfaction  of  seeing  it  completed.  Though  we 
have  no  account  of  its  dedication,  we  can  well  imagine 
with  what  joy  and  thankfulness  the  worshippers  first 
took  their  seats  within  its  plain  and  humble,  but,  to 
them,  holy  and  beautiful  walls. 

The  meeting-house  completed,  they  proceeded, 
with  the  help  of  neighboring  ministers,  to  organize  a 
church.  This  was  accomplished  July  29,  1753;  and 
in  the  month  of  October  following,  the  Rev.  Thomas 


56  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

Frink  was  installed  pastor  of  "  The  Congregational 
Church  and  Society  in  Rutland  District."  Of  Mr. 
Frink's  ministry  not  much  is  known  to  his  advantage. 
But  though  the  notices  of  him  are  few  and  meagre, 
they  are  sufficient  to  indicate  that  he  was  a  man  of  more 
than  ordinary  abilities  and  great  strength  of  will,  which, 
combined  with  an  irascible  temper,  made  him  self- 
asserting  and  imperious.  He  was  born  in  Sudbury, 
and  graduated  at  Harvard  University  in  the  class  of 
1722.  With  whom  he  studied  divinity  is  not  known; 
but  five  37ears  after  his  graduation  he  was  ordained 
in  Rutland,  and  continued  the  minister  of  that  town 
thirteen  years,  from  1727  to  1740.  Dismissed  in 
1740,  he  was  installed  four  years  later  in  the  Third 
Church  of  Plymouth.  The  fact  that  Mr.  Chauncy,  of 
the  First  Church  in  Boston,  preached  the  sermbn  at 
his  installation,  raises  a  suggestion  that  he  was  a  man 
of  some  note.  This  suggestion  is  confirmed  by  the 
fact  that  he  was  chosen  to  preach  the  sermon  on  the 
occasion  of  the  ordination  of  Mr.  John  Willard  at 
Stafford,  Conn.,  in  1757,  and  also  the  annual  "Elec- 
tion Sermon"  in  1758,  while  he  was  minister  of  this 
town.  A  copy  of  the  "Election  Sermon"  has  fallen 
into  my  hands.  No  one  can  read  it  without  perceiv- 
ing that  the  author  was  a  man  of  vigorous  intellect 
and  extensive  erudition.  His  ministry  in  Plymouth 
was  not  of  long  duration,  —  only  four  years.  It  came 
to  an  end  "  by  mutual  consent,  no  blame  attaching  to 
either  pastor  or  people."  At  its  termination,  in  1748, 
he  returned  to  Rutland,  and  nothing  is  heard  of  him 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  57 

from  that  time  till  his  settlement  here  in  1753.  His 
ministry  in  the  district  was  of  thirteen  years'  duration. 
Before  its  close  such  misunderstandings  had  arisen 
between  him  and  a  majority  of  the  church-members 
as  led  to  the  calling  of  a  mutual  council  to  hear  the 
parties  and  adjudicate  the  case.  The  council  was 
composed  of  eminent  men,  both  clerical  and  lay,  all 
from  distant  churches,  and  was  in  session  six  days. 
The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  "  Result":  — 

"  An  Ecclesiastical  Council,  consisting  of  five  churches,  by  the 
elders  and  messengers  from  each,  that  is  to  say, — 

1.  Stephen  Williams,  pastor  of  a  church  in  Springfield, 
Simon  Colton,  messenger; 

2.  Seth  Storer,  pastor,  Watertown, 
Deacon  Samuel  Fisk,  messenger; 

3.  David  Parsons,  pastor,  Amherst, 
Simeon  Strong,  messenger; 

4.  Robert  Brick,  pastor,  Springfield, 
Edward  Pjnchon,  Esq.,  messenger; 

5.  Jonathan  Mahew,  pastor.  West  Church,  Boston, 
Andrew  Craig,  messenger; 

in  pursuance  of  'Letters  Missive'  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Thomas 
Frink,  in  the  name  of  the  church  and  of  the  aggrieved  in  Rut- 
land District,  to  look  into  some  affairs  that  labor  in  said  church, 
to  use  their  endeavors  for  an  accommodation  and  to  give  their 
best  advice,  being  convened  in  said  District  June  loth,  1766,  for 
the  purpose  aforesaid,  after  solemn  repeated  prayer  to  Almighty 
God  for  light  and  direction,  and  after  six  days  spent  in  hearing 
the  parties  and  deliberating  on  the  matters  laid  before  them, 
came  unanimously  unto  the  following  result  in  every  particular 
of  it,  viz. :  — 

1st.  That  the  Rev.  Mr.  Thomas  Frink  is  justly  chargeable  with 
proceeding  in  a  very  arbitrary  manner  with  respect  to  Mr. 
Nathaniel  Davis  in  desiring  him  to  withdraw  himself  from  the 
communion  of  the  church,  and  also  for  using  him  very  indecently 
in  a  discourse  concerning  the  duty  of  tything-men,  also  in  reviling 

8     . 


58  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

him  in  a  more  private  way,  and  speaking  both  to  and  of  him  in  a 
most  contemptuous,  opprobrious  manner,  all,  so  far  as  we  can 
learn,  without  any  just  foundation. 

2dly.  Voted  unanimously.  That  the  Rev.  Mr.  Frink  has  been 
very  culpable  with  respect  to  Capt.  Lee  in  promoting  a  sort  of 
inquisition  into  his  private  Domestick  concerns  or  the  govern- 
ment of  his  family  ;  in  declining  to  pray  at  his  house  at  a  time  of 
affliction  when  desired,  as  also  in  treating  liim  with  most  outra- 
geous language  from  time  to  time,  such  as  no  Christian  ought  on 
the  greatest  provocation  to  use  respecting  another. 

3dly.  It  has  not  by  any  means  appeared  to  us  that  Mr.  Jed. 
Winslow  has  discovered  an  implacable  disposition  with  respect 
to  Mr.  Robinson,  or  that  he  ever  made  any  formal  confession  of 
having  treated  him  in  an  injurious  manner,  as  has  been  intimated 
by  some,  though  he  did  indeed  use  some  conciliatory  expressions 
for  the  sake  of  peace  ;  and  consequently,  that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Frink, 
in  what  he  calls  a  pastoral  admonition  or  sharp  rebuke  of  said 
Winslow  before  the  church,  gave  him  just  and  great  cause  of 
uneasiness,  especially  as  he  did  not  lie  under  any  formal  censure 
of  the  church.  It  also  appears  to  us  that  Mr.  Winslow  was 
treated  in  an  unjustifiable  manner  in  being  desired  by  message 
from  the  pastor  to  abstain  from  the  communion  ;  that  he  was 
repeatedly,  both  in  public  and  private,  used  by  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Frink  with  extremely  hard,  abusive,  and  scurrilous  language, 
altogether  unbecoming  a  minister  of  the  gospel  towards  a  brother. 
Neither  upon  supposition  that  Mr.  Winslow  had  made  such  a 
confession  as  Mr.  Frink  and  some  others  suppose  he  did  in  the 
church  can  we  in  any  measure  justify  Mr.  Frink  in  refusing  to 
him  a  copy  thereof  when  repeatedly  requested,  and  also  in  hav- 
ing denied  several  other  papers  to  Mr.  Winslow  and  some  of  the 
aggrieved  contrary  to  his  repeated  engagements,  at  the  same 
time  denying  that  he  had  promised  to  do  so. 

4thly.  It  appears  to  us  that  that  article  of  grievance  wherein 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Frink  is  charged  with  uttering  numerous  contempt- 
uous and  defamatory  speeches  concerning  many  of  the  regular 
standing  ministers  of  this  county,  tending  to  obstruct  the  impor- 
tant uses  of  the  ministry  and  to  the  great  reproach  of  religion, 
has  been  very  fully  supported  by  evidence,  and  that  even  the 
righteous  dead  whose  memory  is  blessed  have  some  of  them  been 
treated  by  him  with  great  indecency  and  undeserved  contempt. 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  59 

5thly.  To  us  it  appears  from  indisputable  evidence  that  with- 
out any  just  provocation,  and  even  notwithstanding  very  kind  and 
respectful  treatment,  from  John  Caldwell,  Esq.,  Mr.  Frink  has 
frequently  used  him  in  the  most  abusive  and  unchristian  manner, 
with  much  undeserved  contempt,  with  bitter  reviling,  and  with 
railings  in  the  highest  degree  both  in  publick  and  in  private, 
such  railings  as  we  have  scarce  if  at  all  known  any  professed 
Christian  chargeable  with  towards  a  brother,  much  less  any 
Christian  minister  towards  a  respectable  person  of  his  pastoral 
charge. 

6thly.  As  to  those  two  complaints  against  the  Rev.  Mr.  Frink, 
that  he  has  neglected  to  catechise  the  children  of  his  pastoral 
charge  and  to  preach  lectures  upon  week-days,  it  is  our  opinion 
that  though  these  methods  have  been  and  are  serviceable  to  the 
interests  of  religion,  yet  we  think  that  the  particular  method  in 
which  children  are  to  be  instructed  and  the  preaching  of  lectures 
are  in  a  good  measure  prudential  matters;  and  after  hearing  what 
Mr.  Frink  has  to  say  relative  to  his  conduct  in  these  respects,  we 
do  not  think  him  justly  censurable  by  this  Council. 

ythly.  To  us  it  appears  that  in  a  particular  instance  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Frink  claimed  and  exercised  a  power  to  adjourn  a  church 
meeting  after  the  mind  of  the  chvu-ch  to  the  contrary  had  been 
requested  by  and  signified  to  him,  and  that  he  did  this  in  such  a 
manner  and  under  such  particular  circumstances  as  strongly 
indicated  an  overbearing,  arbitrary  disposition  in  him. 

Sthly.  It  also  appears  to  us  that  on  a  particular  occasion  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Frink  did  in  an  unconstitutional  and  arbitrary  man- 
ner deny  to  brethren  of  the  church,  namely,  Capt.  Lee  and  Mr. 
Winslow,  their  undoubted  privilege  and  right  of  speaking  and 
giving  their  suftVages  at  a  church  meeting. 

9thly.  It  also  appears  to  us  that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Frink  on  a  par- 
ticular occasion  unwarrantably  and  arbitrarily  refused  to  put  a 
vote  in  a  church  meeting  after  it  was  regularly  proposed  and 
seconded  by  some  of  the  brethren. 

lothly.  It  appears  to  us,  from  a  great  variety  of  testimony,  that 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Frink  has  for  several  years  past  and  on  different 
occasions  discovered  a  remarkable  and  almost  unexampled  bitter- 
ness of  spirit  towards  divers  reputable  persons  of  his  pastoral 
charge,  as  well  as  towards  other  people,  to  the  great  dishonor  of 


6o  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

his  sacred  office  and  tending  directly  to  alienate  the  aflections  of 
his  flock  from  him,  to  expose  him  to  contempt  from  them,  and  as 
by  his  own  ill  example  in  this  respect  to  frustrate  in  a  great 
measure  whatever  exhortations  he  might  give  them  to  the  neces- 
sary duties  of  Christian  meekness  and  forbearance  and  brotherly 
love,  and  to  give  such  countenance  to  the  contrary  vices  of  pride, 
wrath,  and  a  furious,  ungovernable  temper  of  mind  ;  and  we 
cannot  but  look  upon  it  as  a  great  aggravation  of  some  of  his 
intemperate  speeches  and  railing  accusations  that  they  were  at 
first  delivered  and  afterwards  spoken  of  by  him  as  pastoral 
rebukes. 

For  the  reasons  aforesaid,  it  is  the  unanimous  opinion  of  this 
Council,  —  after  a  public,  full,  and  large  hearing  of  the  parties 
concerned  and  much  deliberation  on  the  premises,  — 

That  the  pastoral  relation  between  the  Rev.  Mr.  Frink  and  the 
church  in  Rutland  District  should  be  dissolved. 

This  advice  we  give,  as  we  trust,  in  simplicity  and  the  fear  of 
God,  to  whom  we  expect  to  give  an  account,  we  being  induced 
thereto  by  a  full  persuasion  that,  all  circumstances  being  duly 
considered,  there  is  no  rational  prospect  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Frink 
ever  being  serviceable  to  the  people  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel, 
and  seeing  no  grounds  to  hope  that  they  will  be  wholly  at  peace 
one  with  another  till  the  person  who  has  already  been  the  occa- 
sion of  so  much  confusion  and  contention  in  this  town  is  removed 
from  his  pastoral  office. 

We  protest  before  the  Searcher  of  hearts  that  we  give  this 
advice  not  without  much  reluctance  and  great  heaviness  of  heart, 
especially  when  we  consider  the  Rev.  Mr.  Frink's  age  and  what 
we  have  transiently  heard  concerning  his  worldly  circumstances ; 
when  we  consider  the  age  and  infirmities  of  his  consort,  and  the 
grief  it  may  probably  occasion  to  his  numerous  family,  to  all  of 
whom  we  sincerely  wish  prosperity  and  happiness,  earnestly 
commending  them  to  the  blessing  of  Almighty  God. 

To  the  Rev.  Mr.  Frink  himself  we  earnestly  wish  the  modera- 
tion and  wisdom  calmly  to  consider  the  unhappy  condition  to 
which  in  our  opinion  he  has  brought  himself  by  his  own  bad 
temper  long  indulged,  and  such  a  course  of  conduct  for  years 
together  as  has  long  given  those  who  knew  him  great  reason  to 
apprehend  what  the  issue  would  be.     We  entreat  him  not  to  think 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  6l 

we  are  become  his  enemies  because  we  so  plainly  tell  him  what 
appears  to  us  to  be  the  truth,  and  such  trutli  as  we  think  very 
nearly  concerns  him  to  seriously  consider  and  ponder  in  his  heart ; 
and  we  earnestly  beseech  Almighty  God  to  dispose  and  enable 
him  rightly  to  improve  the  present  dispensation  of  Divine  Provi- 
dence towards  him  that  so,  although  it  may  not  be  joyous  but 
grievous,  it  may  in  the  end  yield  unto  him  the  peaceable  fruits  of 
righteousness. 

This  beloved  flock  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  the  people  in 
general  in  this  place  we  commend  to  the  blessing  and  direction 
of  Heaven  in  this  day  of  trial,  earnestly  exhorting  them  all  to 
study  the  things  that  make  for  peace,  and  wherewith  they  may 
edify  one  another,  that  the  God  of  peace  may  be  with  them. 
And  we  think  it  but  a  piece  of  justice  to  declare  that  from  what 
we  have  observed  during  our  being  in  this  place  we  think  both 
the  standing  part  of  the  church  and  the  aggrieved  have  in  general 
discovered  a  good  and  peaceable  disposition,  though  they  enter- 
tain different  opinions  concerning  their  pastor.  We  entreat  them 
on  both  sides  to  cultivate  the  same  good  disposition  by  the  help 
of  God,  hoping  they  will  ere  long  be  all  joined  together  in  the 
same  mind  to  their  mutual  edification  and  comfort  and  to  the 
glory  of  God. 

To  his  gracious  acceptance  and  blessing  we  humbly  com- 
mend our  endeavors  to  promote  the  kingdom  of  Christ  in  this 
place,  beseeching  him  who  has  the  hearts  of  all  men  in  his 
hands  to  give  efficacy  to  them  for  the  sake  of  Christ  Jesus,  the 
Prince  of  peace,  whom  he  hath  made  head  over  all  things  to 
the  church,  to  whom  be  glory  and  dominion  now  and  ever, 
Amen.     Rutland  District,  June  iSth,  1766. 

Signed  by  all  the  members  of  the  Council." 

From  the  great  respectability  of  the  council,  it  is 
not  to  be  questioned  that  the  "  Result,"  however  painful 
to  Mr.  Frink,  was  according  to  the  evidence;  and  we 
are  forced  to  the  conclusion  that,  whatever  may  have 
been  the  learning  and  piety  of  this  minister  of  the 
gospel,  he  was  disqualified  by  the  imperiousness  of 
his  will  and  his  choleric  temper  for  the  work  of  the 


62  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

ministry  amongst  a  people  so  sensitive  to  their  eccle- 
siastical rights,  and  so  determined  to  maintain  them,  as 
this  church  and  congregation.  He  meant  to  be  abso- 
lute ruler,  and  could  brook  no  opposition  to  his  des- 
potic authorit}'.  But  it  is  not  to  be  forgotten  that  the 
charges  against  him,  as  far  as  they  relate  to  matters  of 
administration,  might  have  been  preferred  at  that  day 
with  equal  justice  against  not  a  few  of  his  brethren. 
Popes  were  then  frequently  seen  in  the  ranks  of  the 
Protestant  clergy;  and  their  race  is  not  3'et  quite 
extinct!  Undoubtedly  Mr.  Frink  carried  his  preten- 
sions farther  than  most  others;  and  this,  together 
with  his  violent  and  ungovernable  temper,  caused  the 
trouble  and  scandal  which  resulted  in  his  dismission. 

After  struggling  for  some  time,  aided  by  a  few  faith- 
ful adherents,  to  retain  his  place,  notwithstanding  the 
decision  of  the  council,  he  finally  gave  up  the  contest 
and  returned  to  Rutland,  the  field  of  his  first  ministr}'. 
Here  he  spent  the  ten  remaining  years  of  his  life, — 
an  old  age  which  could  scarcely  have  been  peaceful 
save  as  it  ma}^  have  been  cheered  by  the  unwasted 
love  of  some  of  his  early  parishioners,  or  upheld  and 
brightened  by  the  tender  compassions  of  Him  whose 
mercy  endureth  for  ever. 

On  a  stone  in  the  burying-ground  near  the  meeting- 
house in  Rutland  may  be  read  this  brief  inscrip- 
tion: — 

"In  Memory 

Of  the  Reverend  and  Learned  Mr.  Thomas  Frink, 

The  first  settled  Minister  of  Rutland, 

Who  departed  this  life  for  a  better  on 

the  2 1  st  day  of  august,  i777,  in 

the  73d  year  of  his  age." 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  63 

And  on  a  slate-stone  slab,  in  the  north  burying-ground 
in  this  town,  is  the  following  inscription:  — 

"  Here  lies  the  body  of  Mrs.  Isabel  Frink,  wife  of  Rev.  Mr.  Thomas 
Frink,  and  youngest  daughter  of  Samuel  Wight,  Esq.,  late  of  Rutland, 
deceased.  Descended  by  her  mother  from  the  Honourable  Major  Willard, 
of  Lancaster,  by  his  second  wife,  Isabel,  sister  of  President  Dunster. 
She  departed  this  life  on  Monday  evening,  March  ye  2d,  a.d.  1772,  in  the 
63d  year  of  her  age,  and  was  interred  on  Thursday,  March  the  5th. 

"  Her  flesh  rests  in  hope  of  a  happy  resurrection  at  the  last  day,  when 
this  mortal  shall  put  on  immortality  and  death  be  swallowed  up  in  vic- 
tory." 

But  other  matters  besides  those  of  the  church 
claimed  the  attention  of  the  inhabitants  durino:  the 
period  between  the  incorporation  of  the  District  and 
the  dismissal  of  Mr.  Frink.  The  raachiner}^  of  a  town 
was  to  be  set  up  and  men  selected  to  manage  it.  In 
the  township,  as  in  the  state,  there  must  be  an  execu- 
tive. Of  whom  it  should  here  consist  was  a  question 
not  difficult  to  decide.  In  every  community,  at  its 
starting,  certain  men  are  nominated  as  it  were  by 
intuition.  All  eyes  are  fixed  on  them  because  all  see 
that  they  are  best  fitted  for  doing  the  thing  that  is  to 
be  done.  They  are  born  leaders.  When  any  public 
duty  of  moment  is  to  be  performed  they  are  immedi- 
ately pushed  to  the  front.  Hence,  in  the  organization 
of  the  District  and  the  administration  of  its  various 
aftliirs,  certain  names  were  always  prominent.  Un- 
fortunately the  records  of  the  District  from  1749  to 
1763  were  destroyed  in  the  fire  which  consumed  the 
house  of  John  Caldwell,  Esq.,  the  town-clerk.  In  the 
records  commencing  at  the  latter  date,  the  name  of 
John  Caldwell  still  appears  as  town-clerk,  often,  also, 


64  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

as  moderator  of  town-meetings,  and  sometimes  as 
chairman  of  the  board  of  selectmen.  He  may  be 
judged  to  have  been,  in  local  affairs,  the  leading  citi- 
zen. Soon  there  came  to  be  associated  with  him 
Deacon  John  Mason,  Nathan  Sparhawk,  Asa  Hapgood, 
and  Deacon  Andrew  Parker.  The  last  named  came 
from  Lexington,  and  possessed  many  of  the  traits 
exhibited  by  his  blood-relation  of  Revolutionary  fame, 
Capt.  John  Parker,  and  also  the  late  distinguished 
reformer  and  preacher,  Theodore  Parker.  Under  the 
management  of  these  men,  with  the  industrious  co- 
operation of  their  constituents,  the  District  advanced 
rapidly  in  population  and  prosperity.  Forests  were 
felled,  roads  were  opened,  streams  were  spanned  by 
bridges,  saw-mills  turned  out  lumber,  houses  went 
up,  harvests  ripened,  and,  on  every  hand,  were  signs 
of  thrift  which  made  all  hearts  glad.  Each  year  the 
District  was  re-enforced  by  immigrations.  Those  who 
came  were  strong  men,  the  greater  part  in  the  prime 
of  manhood,  full  of  grit,  willing  to  endure  hardness, 
and  bent  on  making  cheerful  homes  for  themselves 
where  land  was  cheaper  and  more  productive  than  in 
the  towns  they  had  left.  These  additions  kept  things 
lively.  There  was  exhilaration  in  every  step  of 
progress  towards  comfort  ;  in  every  house-raising 
and  house-warming;  in  the  sight  of  every  new  field 
ploughed  and  planted;  of  every  fleece  carded,  spun, 
and  woven;   and  of  every  addition  to  herd  or  flock. 

Amonsfst    those   who    came    about    the    middle    of 
the  last    centur}',    and    who    were    important    acces- 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  65 

sions,  were  Benjamin  Jenkins,  with  three  adult  sons, 
from  Barnstable  County;  Seth  Perry  from  Martha's 
Vineyard;  William  Buckminster  from  Framingham; 
Launcelot  Oliver  from  Georgetown;  William  Robin- 
son from  Newton.  There  were  also  here,  at  this 
period,  two  brothers  BuUard  and  two  brothers  Bent. 
Of  the  latter,  one  was  a  magistrate,  town-clerk,  and 
town-treasurer. 

Of  the  famil}^  of  Mr.  Seth  Perry,  from  whom  de- 
scended the  late  Marshall  S.  Perry,  M.D.,  of  Boston, 
a  correspondent  furnishes  to  me  a  touching  and  ro- 
mantic incident,  which  I  cannot  relate  so  well  as  in 
her  own  words:  "About  the  year  1750,  a  man  by 
the  name  of  Perry,  young,  ambitious,  and  desiring 
an  inland  home,  left  Martha's  Vineyard,  and  after  long 
and  patient  search  decided  upon  a  tract  of  land  in  the 
westerly  part  of  what  is  now  called  Barre.  Hills  on 
the  north  and  west  sheltered  the  little  spot  he  selected 
for  a  home.  After  building  a  primitive  house  and 
barn,  and  clearing  and  planting  a  portion  of  the  land, 
he  left  all  and  went  back  to  '  the  Cape '  for  the  prom- 
ised wife.  Meantime,  the  prospective  wife  had  made 
ready  every  thing  which  the  domestic  wheel  and 
loom  could  produce,  from  damask  table-linen  to  meal- 
bags.  Even  the  horse,  a  part  of  her  outfit,  was  in  the 
stable,  and  the  saddle-bags  were  in  readiness  for  the 
expected  journey.  They  were  married,  and,  with  all 
their  worldly  goods  packed  upon  their  two  horses, 
they  started  on  their  pilgrimage,  and  in  due  time 
safely  arrived  at  their    new  home. 

9 


66  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

"  At  the  end  often  years  of  successful  farm-life,  and 
having  been  blessed  with  five  children,  the  3'oung 
parents'  hearts  yearned  for  a  sight  of  the  old  friends 
by  the  sea  and  for  a  sniff  of  the  salt  breeze.  Finding 
competent  persons  to  take  care  of  their  treasures, 
they  started,  one  clear  June  morning,  and  after  five 
days'  ride  v^^ere  again  within  sound  of  the  surging 
ocean,  and  soon  the  dear  familiar  voices  welcomed 
them.  Before  the  visit  was  over,  the  husband  fell 
sick  of  fever,  and,  after  three  weeks  of  suffering,  died. 
Hearts  were  as  tender  and  love  was  as  true  then  as 
now.  The  strong,  brave  widow  must  bury  her  dead, 
and  must  go  back  to  her  children.  She  took  a  last 
and  only  look  at  the  grave  of  her  early  hopes,  neatly 
folded  her  husband's  scanty  wardrobe,  fastened  it  to 
his  saddle,  and  started  on  her  lonely  journey,  the 
faithful  horse,  with  empty  saddle,  keeping  her  com- 
pany, unled.     Can  greater  heroism  be  imagined? 

"No  word  could  be  sent  to  the  waiting  hearts  at 
home,  and  the  prolonged  absence  of  the  parents  was 
a  source  of  deep  anxiety.  Night  after  night  the  little 
children  would  go  to  the  top  of  the  hill  and  watch 
for  their  coming  until,  with  the  sinking  sun,  the  tender 
voice  of  the  housekeeper  called  them,  and,  gathering 
them  inside  the  house,  drew  in  the  latch-string  for  the 
night.  At  last,  a  large  company  was  seen  on  a  distant 
hill;  for  a  neighbor  from  each  house  for  miles  had 
joined  the  lone  woman  on  her  way  to  her  home, 
divininof  all  too  well  the  sorrow  that  had  befallen  her. 
The  empty  saddle  needed  no  interpreter.     It  was  thus 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  67 

that  this  woman  *  gained  her  residence'  in  Barre. 
After  a  busy  and  useful  life,  she  left  us  at  the  age  of 
ninet3'-one  years!" 

I  may  add,  that  this  heroic  woman  was  mother  of 
the  wife  of  our  former  deacon  Moses  Holden;  that 
wife,  whom  everybod}"  loved  in  her  lifetime,  and 
whose  memory  is  green  and  fragrant  still.  Let  me 
also  observe,  that  whoever  knew  Dr.  Perry  intimately 
will  trace  a  close  resemblance  between  traits  of  his 
character  and  those  here  exhibited  in  his  paternal 
grandmother. 

The  Jenkins  family,  before  mentioned,  was  large 
and  influential.  The  first  of  the  name  had  three 
sons,  Benjamin,  Jr.,  Southworth,  and  Timothy.  The 
father  came  first,  and  then  returned  to  bring  the 
others.  He  purchased  of  Nathaniel  Jennison  about 
three  hundred  acres  of  land  in  the  western  part  of 
the  District,  where  he  lived,  and  where,  at  four- 
score years  of  age,  he  died;  having  first  divided  the 
estate  into  three  equal  farms,  constructed  commodious 
buildings,  and  settled  his  three  sons,  who  all  lived, 
died  and  were  buried  on  the  paternal  acres.  Ben- 
jamin, Jr.,  the  "  old  squire,"  was  a  man  of  strong  and 
vigorous  understanding,  quite  distinguished  as  a  mag- 
istrate, and  left,  it  is  said,  the  best  farm  and  farm- 
buildings  in  western  Worcester.  Southworth,  a  name 
traceable  to  the  "  old  comers  "  of  Plymouth  Colony, 
left  six  sons  whose  united  height  was  thirty-six  feet 
seven  inches.  One  of  these  became  a  clergyman  of 
eminence,  and  was  settled  first  at  Greenfield,  then  at 


68  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

Portland,  Maine,  the  honored  father  of  the  Rev.  John 
L.  Jenkins,  now  a  highly  respected  minister  of  Am- 
herst. Timothy  married  a  sister  of  Seth  Perr}^,  whose 
brief  career  has  been  noticed,  and  had  nine  children. 
Of  one  of  these,  bearing  his  name,  I  shall  speak 
farther  on. 

During  the  period  we  are  now  reviewing,  a  new 
minister  was  chosen.  The  dismission  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Frink  had  been  advised  by  a  mutual  council,  June  i8, 
1766.  On  the  i6th  of  July  the  qualified  voters, 
assembled  by  warrant  in  town  meeting,  formally 
accepted  the  "  Result."  On  the  9th  day  of  Septem- 
ber a  town  meeting  was  called  to  take  measures  for 
securing  a  successor;  and  "Deacon  John  Mason, 
Jonathan  Fletcher,  and  Ezra  Jones  were  appointed  a 
committee  to  engage  candidates."  The  pulpit  was 
supplied  by  one  and  another  for  about  the  space  of  a 
year,  when  the  choice  fell,  with  great  unanimity,  on 
Mr.  Josiah  Dana,  of  Pomfret,  Ct.  Mr.  Dana  was  a 
graduate  of  Harvard  University  of  the  class  of  1763. 
His  letter  of  acceptance  is  dated  July  9,  1767,  and  his 
ordination  took  place  on  the  7th  of  October  following. 
So  much  was  accomplished  for  the  church.  Mean- 
while, as  before,  the  schools  received  their  share  of 
attention.  Liberal  appropriations  were  made  annually 
for  their  support.  In  1765  the  town  voted  "that 
school  be  kept  in  six  places."  These  were  private 
houses  in  different  neighborhoods.  The  sums  paid 
to  the  several  masters  each  year  are  duly  recorded, 
the  largest,  £10.  7^-.  2^.,  having  been  received  by  Jonas 
Plowe,  in  1768. 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  69 

Passing  now  into  the  next  period  of  ten  years, — 
the  period  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  American 
Revolution,  —  we  must  trace,  as  rapidly  as  possible, 
the  part  borne  by  this  town  in  the  great  contest. 

On  the  23d  of  February,  1773,  a  town  meeting  was 
called  "to  consider  of  a  Circular  Letter  from  the  town 
of  Boston  concerning  the  State  and  Rights  of  this 
Province."  The  letter  was  referred  to  a  committee, 
consisting  of  John  Caldwell,  Esq.,  Nathan  Sparhawk, 
Ezra  Jones,  Matthias  Stone,  and  Asa  Hapgood,  who 
made  the  following  report:  — 

"  The  committee  appointed  at  a  meeting  in  Rutland  District, 
legally  assembled  on  the  23d  day  of  February,  a.d.  1773,  to  con- 
sider of  the  letter  from  the  town  of  Boston,  with  their  statement 
of  the  Rights  of  the  Colonies  and  the  Infringement  made  upon 
them,  which  was  publicly  read  at  said  meeting,  beg  leave  to 
report :  That,  upon  a  full  consideration  of  the  propriety  and 
expediency  of  the  measure,  they  do  recommend  to  the  inhabitants 
of  said  District  to  pass  the  following  Resolves,  viz. :  i.  Resolved, 
That  the  rights  of  the  colonists  and  of  this  province  in  particular 
as  stated  by  their  respectable  brethren  of  the  metropolis  of  this 
province  are  agreeable  to  the  real  sentiments  of  the  inhabitants  of 
this  District,  and  that  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the  in- 
habitants of  the  Province  stand  as  one  man  to  support  and  main- 
tain all  their  just  rights  and  privileges.  2.  Resolved,  That  the 
inhabitants  of  this  and  the  other  British  Provinces  have  an  equal 
right  with  the  people  of  Great  Britain  to  enjoy  and  dispose  of 
their  own  property,  and  the  same  cannot  be  taken  from  them 
but  by  their  own  consent.  3.  Resolved,  That  the  Parliament  of 
Great  Britain  have  passed  several  acts  in  the  execution  of  which 
American  subjects  are  burdened  with  unconstitutional  taxes.  4. 
Resolved,  That  to  render  the  Governor  and  Judges  of  the  Superior 
Court  of  the  Province  independent  of  the  grants  of  the  General 
Assembly  is  an  innovation  and  infraction  on  the  Chartered  Rights, 
as  it  destroys  that  check  which  should  remain  in  the  hands  of  the 


70  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

people.  5.  Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  this  District  be  given 
to  the  town  of  Boston  for  their  zeal  shown  in  defence  of  Charter 
Rights." 

This  report  was  signed  by  the  whole  committee, 
and  adopted  unanimously  March  i,  1773.  It  was  cer- 
tainly a  spirited  beginning. 

The  grave  questions  then  agitating  the  colony  made 
it  important  to  the  District  to  be  represented  in  the 
General  Court.  Its  population  had  more  than  doubled 
since  its  incorporation,  and  it  was  therefore  entitled 
to  all  the  rights  of  a  town.  Accordingly,  in  a  war- 
rant issued  March  15,  1773,  the  article  numbered 
eight  reads:  "To  see  if  the  District  will  petition  the 
Great  and  General  Court  to  be  set  off  as  a  town,  or 
to  act  anything  relative  thereto."  The  meeting  was 
held  in  April,  when  the  proposition  was  adopted 
unanimously;  and  John  Caldwell,  Asa  Hapgood,  and 
Nathan  Sparhawk  were  chosen  a  committee  to  present 
the  petition.  This  petition  was  entered,  as  appears 
by  the  Journal,  June  22,  1773,  when  an  order  of  notice 
to  the  adjacent  towns  was  passed.  "  Thursday,  Feb- 
ruary 10,  1774,  William  Sever,  Esq.,  brought  down 
the  petition  of  Rutland  District."  "  Read  again  and 
ordered.  That  the  pra3'er  be  so  far  granted  as  that  the 
petitioners  have  leave  to  bring  in  a  bill  for  the  pur- 
poses mentioned.  Sent  down  for  concurrence.  Read 
and  concurred."  "  Wednesday,  Feb.  16,  1774.  A  bill 
for  incorporating  Rutland  District  into  a  town,  by 
the  name  of  Barre,  read  the  third  time  and  passed 
to    be    engrossed."       "Wednesday,    Feb.    23,    1774. 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  7I 

Upon  a  motion,  ordered^  that  the  Secretary  lay  on 
the  table  the  bill  for  erecting  Rutland  District  into  a 
town.  The  Secretary  laid  the  same  on  the  table  ac- 
cordingly." 

Here  the  matter  abruptly  drops.  Why,  after  the 
bill  had  passed  to  be  engrossed,  it  was  recalled  and 
laid  upon  the  table,  does  not  appear;  but  it  is  conject- 
ured that  the  reason  lay  in  the  iiarjte  proposed  to  be 
given;  and  that  it  came  to  the  knowledge  of  those 
entrusted  with  the  bill  that  Governor  Hutchinson 
would  not  give  his  assent  to  it  unless  the  name  were 
changed. 

On  the  last  Wednesday  of  May  following,  the  leg- 
islature met  and  organized  the  government  for  the 
year  by  the  usual  election  of  councillors.  On  the 
next  Saturday  it  was  unexpectedly  prorogued,  to  meet, 
after  ten  days,  at  Salem.  The  second  day  of  the  ses- 
sion bears  this  record:  "June  8,  1774.  A  bill  to 
incorporate  Rutland  District  into  a  town.  Read  the 
first  and  second  time.  Ordered,  that  the  bill  be  read 
again  to-morrow  at  ten  o'clock."  "June  9.  Read  the 
third  time,  and  passed  to  be  engrossed."  "June  14. 
An  engrossed  bill  for  incorporating  Rutland  District 
into  a  town.  Read,  and  passed  to  be  enacted."  On  the 
17th  the  famous  message  of  Governor  Gage  dissolv- 
ing the  General  Court  was  read  from  the  steps  of  the 
Court  House,  the  Secretary  being  refused  admission; 
but  before  the  message  was  sent,  we  have  the  au- 
thority of  the  "Massachusetts  Spy"  of  that  week  for 
saying  that  several   acts,  and  amongst  them  that  for 


72  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

the  erection  of  Rutland  District  into  a  town,  passed 
the  Council  and  were  consented  to  by  the  Governor. 
So  that  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  this  is  our  legal 
birthday. 

The  following  is  the  act  of  incorporation:  — 

"An  act  for  incorporating  a  tract  of  land  in  the  county  of  Wor- 
cester by  the  name  of  Ruthuid  District  into  a  town  by  the  name 
of  Hutchinson. 

"  Whereas,  the  north-westerly  part  of  the  township  of  Rutland, 
in  the  county  of  Worcester,  at  the  session  of  the  General  Court 
held  on  the  28th  day  of  March,  1753,  was  incorporated  into  a 
district  by  the  name  of  Rutland  District,  and  invested  with  all 
the  powers  and  privileges  that  towns  in  this  province  do  or  may 
enjoy,  that  of  sending  a  representative  to  the  General  Court  only 
excepted  ;  and  whereas  the  said  District,  which  is  of  the  contents 
of  six  miles  square,  is  now  completely  filled  with  inhabitants, 
who  have  made  it  appear  to  this  court  that  it  is  very  inconvenient 
for  them  to  join  with  the  town  of  Rutland  and  the  District 
of  Oakham  and  Hubbardston  in  the  choice  of  Representatives, 
as  by  law  they  are  now  obliged,  by  reason  of  their  great  distance 
from  the  place  of  election,  they  living  many  of  them  more  than 
sixteen  miles  therefrom.  Be  it  therefore  enacted  by  the  Gov- 
ernor, Council,  and  House  of  Representatives,  that  the  said 
Rutland  District  be  and  hereby  is  incorporated  into  a  town  by 
the  name  of  Hutchinson,  and  that  the  inhabitants  thereof  be  and 
hereby  are  invested  with  all  the  powers,  privileges,  and  immuni- 
ties that  the  inhabitants  of  towns  in  this  Province  do  or  ought  to 
enjoy. 

"And  be  it  further  enacted,  that  all  the  several  District  officers 
in  said  District  that  have  been  chosen  into  and  have  actually  been 
legally  in  office  in  said  District  until  the  passing  of  this  Act,  shall 
be  and  hereby  are  empowered  to  continue  to  exercise  all  the 
powers  in  the  several  offices  in  said  town  that  they  might  by  law 
exercise  in  said  District  if  this  law  had  not  been  made,  until  new 
officers  may  be  chosen  in  said  town  in  the  month  of  March  next, 
when  the  selectmen  shall  call  a  meeting  for  the  choice  of  all  town 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  73 

officers   in   all   respects   as  they  might  have  called  a  meeting  of 
this  said  District  if  this  act  had  not  been  passed. 

"Passed  to  be  enacted  at  Salem,   lune  14,  1774. 

"Consented  to  by  the  Governor,  June  17,  1774." 

Between  the  action  of  the  legislature  in  February 
and  that  in  June,  Hutchinson  had  been  succeeded  in 
office  by  Gage,  who,  it  is  believed,  caused  the  name 
of  his  predecessor  to  be  inserted  in  the  bill  instead  of 
Barre.  How  much  honor  accrued  to  his  distin- 
guished friend  by  this  change  we  shall  soon  see. 

Pending  this  petition,  what  stirring  events  had 
transpired!  The  tea  had  been  emptied  into  the  Bay. 
The  Port  bill  had  been  passed,  and  with  it  the  bill 
abolishing  town  meetings  "  except  for  the  choice  of 
town-officers  or  on  the  special  permission  of  the  gov- 
ernor." Gage  had  landed  at  Long  Wharf,  amidst 
salutes  from  ships  and  batteries,  to  take  the  place  of 
Hutchinson,  who  had  embarked  for  England.  Boston 
harbor  had  been  blockaded.  The  "  Kino-'s  Own  "  and 
"  The  Forty-third  "  had  encamped  on  Boston  Com- 
mon. "The  solemn  league  and  covenant"  had  been 
agreed  upon.  And,  last  of  all,  on  the  ver}'  day  when 
Governor  Gage  gave  his  consent  to  our  act  of  incor- 
poration, the  legislature  at  Salem  had  adopted  the 
motion  of  Samuel  Adams  for  the  call  of  a  Na- 
tional Congress  to  meet  at    Philadelphia   on 

THE     first    day    OF    SEPTEMBER    FOLLOWING, the 

most  pregnant  event  of  all. 

Thus   it  is   seen   that  we   came   into   existence  as  a 
town  amid  the  birth-throes  of  the  Revolution,  in  the 


74  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

last  day  of  the  existence  of  a  House  of  Representa- 
tives under  the  Provincial  Charter.  Since  the  day- 
spring  of  History,  when  has  there  been  a  more 
momentous  epoch?  As  Mr.  Webster  said,  in  one 
of  his  memorable  orations,  the  election  of  delegates 
under  the  resolution  of  Adams,  and  the  proclamation 
which  dissolved  the  General  Court  at  Salem,  "  ter- 
minated for  ever  the  actual  exercise  of  the  political 
power  of  England  in  or  over  Massachusetts." 

The  interest  in  passing  events  at  this  time  became 
all-absorbing.  Not  confined  to  the  metropolis  and 
its  vicinity,  it  extended  to  the  far-away  towns  and 
settlements  of  the  Province,  where  wh-at  was  done 
in  Faneuil  Hall  was  heartily  indorsed  and  ap- 
plauded. Eagerly  the  people  waited  for  news  by 
each  opportunity  from  Boston  and  London.  At  the 
fireside,  when  at  night  the  pine-knot  had  been  lighted 
for  a  candle,  the  father  related  to  his  listening  house- 
hold each  new  step  in  the  exciting  and  ominous 
controvers}-;  and  in  the  daytime,  when  he  could 
snatch  a  few  hours  from  the  labor  of  the  farm,  he 
mounted  his  horse  and  rode  to  the  village  for  con- 
sultation with  others  gathered  there,  or  to  be  fired  up 
by  the  appeals  and  denunciations  of  some  citizen 
more  "  tonguey "  than  the  rest  on  the  momentous 
theme.  The  tavern  was  their  place  of  resort;  and 
there,  as  the  foaming  mug  went  round  from  hand  to 
hand,  and  faces  grew  ruby  under  the  dispensation,  the 
love  of  Liberty,  kindled  into  an  intense  passion  and 
resolves  to  maintain  it  or  die,  came  solid  as  cannon- 
balls  from  their  united  and  invincible  will. 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  75 

All  public  proceedings  soon  became  as  well  known 
at  Gates's  tavern  as  in  King  Street.  Caldwell,  Mason, 
Sparhawk,  Hapgood,  Buckminster,  Parker,  and  many 
others,  fully  understood  their  portentous  significance, 
and  the  whole  population  responded  in  burning  words 
to  the  suggestions  and  appeals  of  their  brethren  in 
Boston. 

The  District  did  not  assume  its  functions  as  a  town 
until  the  January  following  its  incorporation.  But  in 
the  August  previous  it  voted,  to  "  pay  the  town's  pro- 
portion for  support  of  Congress  to  be  holden  at  Phila- 
delphia;" and,  also,  chose  Asa  Hapgood,  Nathan 
Sparhawk,  Andrew  Parker,  John  Mason,  and  Peter 
Fessenden,  the  "  Committee  of  Safety."  And  on  the 
1 2th  of  September,  eight  days  before  the  assembling 
of  Congress,  a  movement  was  made  for  reorganizing 
the  militia  under  the  following  preamble  and  vote:  — 

"Whereas,  the  state  of  our  publick  affairs  in  this  province  at 
the  present  day  is  very  ahinning,  and  in  consequence  hereof  the 
militia  officers  have  resigned  their  respective  posts,  thereby  throw- 
ing the  militia  of  the  town,  as  it  were,  into  a  state  of  nature  : 
Whereas,  we  being  exposed  to  be  called  upon  by  our  brethren 
in  the  metropolis  of  this  Province  for  our  attendance,  we  judge 
it  Highly  necessary  that  some  method  be  prescribed  immediately 
for  the  regulation  of  the  militia  ;  and  Whereas,  it  is  recom- 
mended by  the  Committee  of  Correspondence  for  the  county  of 
Worcester  that  every  town  in  this  county,  under  the  situation, 
should  immediately  meet  and  unanimously  choose  officers  to  lead 
them  wherever  they  may  be  called  until  the  government  shall  be 
brought  under  a  proper  Regulation,  these  are,  therefore,  to  desire 
the  Inhabitants  of  Rutland  District  to  meet  at  the  meeting-house 
in  said  District  on  Monday,  the  twelfth  day  of  September  current, 
at  one  of  the  clock  in  the  afternoon,  for  that  purpose  ;  and  it  is 
earnestly  recommended  by  the  selectmen  of  said  District  and  said 


Committee  of  Coi-respondciice 
for  Rutland  District. 


^6  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

committee  that  the  Inhabitants  of  said  District  would  unanimously 
meet  at  the  hour  above  mentioned,  inasmuch  as  a  former  meet- 
ing stands  adjourned  to  the  twelfth  day  of  September,  and  there 
will  matters  of  importance  be  brought  under  consideration. 

Asa  Hapgood, 
Nathan  Sparhawk, 
John  Mason, 
Andrew  Parker, 
Asa  Hapgood,  ^ 

TV-,  o  Selectmen  of  Rutland  Dis- 

NaTHAN    bPARHAWK,    >  .  "^ 

-r-  T  I  *^^<^i- 

Ezra  Jones,  J 

"Rutland,  September  12,  1774." 

"  The  District  met  at  time  and  place,  and,  after  solemn  prayer 
to  God,  the  following  votes  weie  passed:  i.  To  form  into  two 
companies  as  usual.  2.  Voted  to  the  company  I.  of  this  District 
as  follows,  viz.  :  Captain,  Ezra  Jones  ;  Lieut.,  Nathan  Sparhawk  ; 
Lieut.,  Andrew  Parker;  Ensign,  Benjamin  Nye.  Company  IL  in 
said  District,  Captain,  William  Buckminster ;  Lieut.,  Josiah 
Holden  ;  Lieut.,  William  Henry;  and  Ensign,  James  Black. 
"  And  that,  they  will  obey  them  till  further  orders. 

"  Attest,     Nathan  Sparhawk,  Town  Clerk" 

One  article  of  a  warrant  dated  February  24,  1775, 
was,  "  To  see  what  sum  or  sums  the  town  will  grant 
to  the  Minute-men  in  said  town  for  their  encourage- 
ment, or  to  act  any  thing  relative  thereto."  "  March 
7th.  A  committee  was  chosen  to  confer  with  the  Min- 
ute company,  and  the  meeting  was  adjourned  to  the 
fourteenth."  "  14th.  The  committee  appointed  to  con- 
fer with  the  Minute  company  report  as  follows: 
"  That  it  is  reasonable  the  captain  should  have  five 
shillings  for  each  half  day  that  the  said  company 
shall  be  by  the  town  appointed  to  be  under  arms, 
and  that  the  two  lieutenants  shall  have  four  shillings 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  77 

each,  and  sergeants  two  shillings  each,  and  the  pri- 
vates one  shilling  and  sixpence  each  for  each  half 
day  as  aforesaid;  and  that  they  shall  be  paid  for  four 
half  days  previous  to  the  above  date.  And,  further- 
more, said  company  shall  not  exceed  fifty  men,  includ- 
ing officers;  that  they  shall  attend  to  discipline  two 
half  days  in  each  month  during  the  term  of  eight 
months,  unless-  it  shall  be  thought  by  the  said  town 
hereafter  to  be  unnecessary;  and  if  the  company 
shall  be  called  by  the  Committee  of  Safety  of  the 
Province  to  march  to  any  part  of  the  Province  within 
the  term  above-mentioned,  that  each  private  shall  re- 
ceive as  a  bounty  out  of  the  town  treasury  the  sum 
of  six  shillings  upon  their  marching. 

"  And  furthermore,  in  case  said  company  shall  be 
called  to  march  as  above-mentioned,  then  their  pay 
above-mentioned  to  cease  as  to  the  town." 

This  is  the  meagre  account  which  our  records  fur- 
nish of  the  "  Minute-men."  It  is  enough,  however,  to 
show  that  they  were  not  that  undisciplined  mob  of 
soldiers  they  have  sometimes  been  represented. 

The  first  legal  meeting  of  the  town  of  Hutchinson 
w^as  held  January  lo,  1778,  when  it  was  voted,  "to 
accept  the  Continental  Congress  Resolves  in  full;" 
and  John  Mason  was  chosen  delegate  to  the  Provin- 
cial Congress  at  Cambridge.  A  committee  was  also 
appointed  to  prepare  Instructions  to  the  Delegate  and 
report  at  an  adjourned  meeting.  The  committee,  on 
the  da}'  to  which  the  meeting  stood  adjourned,  re- 
ported Instructions  as  follows:  — 


78  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

"To  Deacon  John  Mason,  of  Hutchinson. 

"  Sir,  —  You  being  constituted  by  the  Inhabitants  of  said  Hutch- 
inson legally  assembled  to  act  for  and  in  behalf  of  said  town  in 
Provincial  Congress  to  be  holden  at  Cambridge  the  first  day  of 
February  next  ensuing,  —  and  we,  on  intimation  that  it  was  the 
opinion  of  the  former  Provincial  Body  in  general  and  your  desire 
in  particular  (being  now  elected  again  as  a  member  of  said  Body) 
that  we  vour  constituents  afford  you  some  particular  Instructions 
in  this  difficult  and  troublesome  day,  in  which  is  needed  the  great- 
est wisdom  and  most  profound  knowledge  in  matters  of  a  politick 
nature  —  We  therefore,  in  a  united  manner,  filled  with  the  deep- 
est concern  for  the  public  Weal,  and  our  fears  being  much  alarmed 
by  the  oppressive  and  arbitrary  measures  concerted  and  really  in 
Execution  upon  us  by  the  British  Parliament,  think  it  our  duty  to 
instruct  you  in  every  consistent  way  in  our  Rights  by  compact  to 
stand  for  and  vindicate  the  same  in  a  firm,  steady,  and  uniform 
manner.  And  secondly  and  particularly,  as  Civil  Government  at 
this  present  Juncture  seems  to  be  a  point  that  labors  in  tlie  minds 
of  the  inhabitants  of  this  Province  in  general  —  whether  to 
assume  it  or  not  —  every  circumstance  considered.  We  your 
constituents  having  deliberately  weighed  the  matter  in  our 
minds,  and  finding,  upon  the  most  mature  consideration,  that  it 
will  be  attended  with  danger  to  assume  civil  government  at  the 
present  day  (unless  there  is  something  of  more  importance  turns 
up  to  view  than  what  comes  within  the  reach  of  our  comprehen- 
sion at  this  time).  Union  hath  been  looked  upon  as  our  Life 
under  God,  and  if  so,  when  broken,  destruction  ensues.  And  as 
the  Continental  Congress  hath  advised  to  the  suspension  of  civil 
government  in  this  Colony  upon  their  Deliberations  upon  the  state 
of  the  colonies,  we  mean  to  coincide  with  their  determination  in 
general  and  in  this  matter  in  particular  —  unless  sad  necessity 
should  oblige  you  to  do  it  [otlierwise?] 

"  We  leave  it,  sir,  with  you,  in  connection  with  the  Honorable 
Provincial  Body,  to  judge  and  determine  as  to  what  may  turn  up 
to  view  during  your  session  that  doth  not  come  within  our  com- 
prehension at  this  time. 

Signed,  "John  Caldwell,  Chairman, 

In  behalf  of  the  Comviiltee. 
"  Hutchinson,  January  23,  1775." 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  79 

Evidently  John  Caldwell,  Esq.,  found  the  business 
of  inditing  Instructions  not  very  easy.  "  He  draweth 
out  the  thread  of  his  verbosity  finer  than  the  staple  of 
his  argument."  But  Deacon  Mason  put  the  Instruc- 
tions in  his  pocket,  went  to  the  Congress,  and  voted 
straight,  as  a  true  patriot,  every  time. 

This  was  the  Year  of  years!  The  minute-men 
were  soon  needed.  The  bugle-blast  of  the  Revolu- 
tion sounded  from  Lexington  and  Concord,  and  re- 
verberated amongst  these  hills.  It  was  a  summons 
to  arms.  The  men  were  ready,  and,  on  the  "  minute," 
obeyed;  being  led  by  their  brother-farmer,  the  cool, 
brave  Buckminster.  Is  there  pluck  in  these  tillers  of 
the  soil?  Will  they  go  to  the  front  without  flinching? 
We  shall  see.  Trained  to  the  use  of  a  fire-arm  from 
the  hour  when  they  were  big  enough  to  lift  it  and  rest 
it  on  a  stump  or  in  the  crotch  of  a  tree,  it  was  to  them 
a  plaything.  It  had  been  aimed  hitherto  at  destructive 
birds  and  dangerous  animals.  It  will  now  be  pointed, 
with  as  good  a  will  and  as  steady  an  aim,  at  any  red- 
coat who  comes  within  its  range.  The  day  which  is 
to  try  them  is  at  hand.  The  19th  of  April  has  al- 
ready scored  itself  in  the  calendar  of  days  immortal. 
Another  of  equal  significance  and  sublimity  is  shortly 
to  be  registered.  In  a  little  less  than  two  months  a 
hill  in  Charlestown,  undistinguished  except  by  its 
natural  features  from  others  in  and  around  Boston, 
suddenly  blazes  into  everlasting  renown.  Lexington 
received  the  first  bloody  shot  of  the  usurping  foe; 
Concord  resisted,  and  turned  him  back  with  dauntless 


8o  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

braver}' ;  but  Bunker  Hill  fought  the  first  Great  Battle, 
and  in  smoke  and  dust  and  gore  covered  itself  with 
unfading  glor)^  And  vvhere  were  our  minute-men 
on  that  day  of  victorious  defeat?  Loitering  and 
straggling  on  the  road  between  Barre  and  Cambridge  ? 
Munching  their  rations  as  they  halted  to  rest  under 
the  trees  of  Waltham  and  Watertown?  No,  no! 
They  were  there  where  Patriotism  demanded  their 
valor  and  their  blood.  They  were  on  that  perilous 
field,  in  the  midst  of  that  thunder-storm  of  Lib- 
erty which  has  cleared  the  air  for  a  century  and 
the  echoes  of  which  are  still  shaking  the  nations. 
They  had  been  attached  to  Colonel  Brewer's  regi- 
ment, of  which  their  gallant  neighbor,  immediately 
upon  joining  it,  had  been  appointed  lieutenant-colonel. 
The  command  of  the  company  devolved  on  their 
townsman,  John  Black,  whilst  Benjamin  Gates  was 
its  lieutenant,  and  John  Patrick  its  ensign.  To  have 
been  thus  represented  in  that  grand  and  awful 
moment  of  American  history,  when  the  patriots 
"  crossed  the  bridge  and  burnt  it  behind  them,"  is 
martial  honor  enough  for  our  town  if  she  had 
achieved   no   other. 

Our  principal  hero  of  that  day  deserves  a  more 
particular,  though  it  be  a  very  brief,  notice. 

Colonel  William  Buckminster  was  born  in  Framing- 
ham  in  1736.  He  was  a  brother  of  the  Rev.  Joseph 
Buckminster,  of  Rutland,  who  was  the  father  of  the 
Rev.  Joseph  Buckminster,  D.D.,  of  Portsmouth,  N.  H., 
and  grandfather  of  the  Rev.  Joseph  S.  Buckminster, 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  bl 

the  celebrated  minister,  in  the  early  part  of  this  cen- 
tur}^  of  Brattle  Street  church,  Boston. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  William  Buckmin- 
ster  removed  to  this  place  and  purchased  a  farm.  Of 
recognized  character  and  abilities,  he  soon  became  a 
leading  and  influential  citizen.  When  the  troubles 
with  the  mother-country  began,  he  was  at  once  "  zeal- 
ously affected;  "  and  his  earnestness  continued  with- 
out abatement  till  the  final  triumph  of  our  arms.  He 
was  active  in  raising  and  equipping  the  company 
of  "Minute  men"  which  he  commanded.  Mr.  Froth- 
ingham,  in  his  careful  "  History  of  the  Siege  of 
Boston,"  bears  this  testimony  to  him:  "  Lieut.-Col. 
Buckminster  acquired  much  reputation  for  bravery 
and  prudence  in  the  battle.  Just  before  the  retreat, 
he  received  a  dangerous  wound  from  a  musket-ball 
entering  his  right  shoulder  and  coming  out  in  the 
middle  of  his  back.  This  made  him  a  cripple  during 
life.  He  was  much  respected  for  his  sterling  integ- 
rit}^,  patriotism,  and  goodness  of  heart."  Bancroft 
speaks  of  the  men  furnished  from  Brewer's  regiment 
who  "hastened  to  the  aid  of  Prescott,"'  "and  with 
them  the  prudent  and  fearless  William  Buckminster, 
of  Barre,  their  lieutenant-colonel. 

His  wound  disabled  him  for  further  service  in  the 
war,  though  his  name  was  continued  on  the  army-list 
till  its  close.  He  returned  to  his  farm,  and  by  his 
word  and  spirit  inspired  his  townsmen  with  courage 
and  zeal  to  do  their  full  part  in  the  long  and  severe 
contest.    He  was  universally  respected  while  he  lived; 


82  BARRE   CENTENNIAL. 

and   in  the   grave3'arcl  where  his   body  was   interred 
is  a  monument  with  this   inscription:  — 

"  Sacred  to  the  Memory  of 

Col.  William  Buckminster, 

An  Industrious  Farmer, 

A  Useful  Citizen, 

An  Honest  Man, 

A  Sincere  Christian, 

A  Brave  Officer, 

And  a  Friend  to  his  Country, 

In  whose  cause  he  courageously  Fought 

And  was  dangerously  wounded  at 

The  Battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 

He  was  born  Dec.  15,  1736, 

Died  June  22,  1786." 

It  would  be  a  grateful  task  to  set  forth  in  its  various 
detail  the  part  borne  by  our  town  —  the  men  enlisted, 
the  money  appropriated,  the  resolutions  adopted,  the 
sacrifices  made,  the  lives  given  up  in  camp  and  on 
battle-fields  —  during  the  War  of  Independence.  I 
should  love  to  recall  the  memory  and  the  merits  of 
that  ardent  patriot,  John  Gorham,  who  served  under 
General  Lafayette;  of  William  Henry,  a  daring  but 
kindly  officer,  as  careful  of  his  command  in  the  camp 
as  he  was  rigorous  in  the  field;  of  Peter  Fessenden, 
the  good  soldier  and  noted  wit;  of  the  younger  Dan 
Hawes,  still  remembered  for  his  eminently  Christian 
character,  who  gave  the  freshness  of  his  youth  to  the 
cause  of  his  country;  of  the  Holdens,  and  Rices,  and 
Nyes,  and  Bacons,  and  scores  besides,  whose  descend- 
ants justly  glory  in  the  honorable  part  they  bore  in 
the  struggles  of  the  Revolution. 

But  this  belongs  rather  to  a  history  of  the  town 


HISTORICAL   DISCOURSE.  83 

than  to  a  commemorative  discourse.  And  I  shall 
content  myself  with  noticing  only  one  other  of  our 
soldiers,  who  was  also  an  eminent  citizen.  Many 
here  will  remember  the  stalwart  form  and  dignified 
bearing  of  General  Samuel  Lee.  Born  in  this  town 
in  the  year  1767,  he  enlisted  as  a  soldier  in  the  army 
in  1780,  being  but  thirteen  years  old,  though  of  physi- 
cal proportions  far  beyond  his  years.  Joining  the 
army  at  West  Point  about  the  time  of  Arnold's  trea- 
son, he  was  transferred  to  a  flying  regiment  under 
Col.  Alexander  Scammel  in  New  Jersey,  and  took 
part  in  a  severe  engagement,  in  which  one  of  his 
townsmen,  Silas  Smith,  fell  by  his  side.  He  was  en- 
gaged in  many  actions,  Yorktown  being  the  most  im- 
portant, and  was  honorably  discharged  at  the  end  of 
the  war.  Returning  home,  he  developed  superior 
qualities  of  mind,  and  soon  acquired  such  an  educa- 
tion as  made  him  a  popular  teacher  of  the  common 
schools  and  an  efficient  town-officer.  In  the  militia 
he  rose  rapidly  till  he  became  a  brigadier-general. 
For  many  years  he  served  with  fidelity  on  the  school- 
committee.  In  five  legislatures  he  was  a  represen- 
tative. He  was  also  a  State  senator,  and  at  two 
successive  elections  one  of  the  presidential  electors  for 
the  Commonwealth.  A  man  of  unquestioned  integ- 
rity and  public  spirit,  of  sound  judgment  and  manly 
presence,  he  was  one  of  the  most  honored  fathers  of 
the  town.    He  died  Oct.  17,  1839,  aged  72  3^ears. 

"  To  Freedom's  cause  his  ardent  youth  was  given, 
His  riper  age  to  rural  cares  and  Heaven." 


84  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

Leaving  now  the  disturbances,  conflicts,  and  sacri- 
fices of  the  war,  we  will  take  up  again  the  thread  of 
our  municipal  history.     "  Let  us  have  peace!  " 

Our  town  has  been  bearing,  since  its  full  incorpora- 
tion, June  17,  1774,  the  name  of  Hutchinson.  The 
public  course  of  Governor  Hutchinson  had  made  it 
an  odious  name  to  all  earnest  patriots.  Our  people 
could  not  patiently  endure  to  date  their  letters,  or  sub- 
scribe their  names,  or  anywhere  report  themselves,  as 
belonging  to  Hutchinson.  It  seemed  ignominious; 
and  after  bearing  the  reproach  as  long  as  they  could, 
they  resolved  to  take  the  necessary  steps  to  wipe  it 
out.  For  this  purpose  a  town  meeting  was  called 
and  a  petition  to  the  legislature  was  adopted.  The 
phraseology  of  the  petition  is  sufficiently  emphatic  to 
express  the  feeling  of  the  people.  It  was  probably 
the  joint  production  of  Mason  and  Parker.  It  is  as 
follows :  — 

"  To  the    Goteral  Assembly  of  the    Colony  of  Massachusetts 
Bay^  now  sitting  at  Watertoxvn. 

"  Gentlemen,  —  We  your  humble  petitioners  beg  leave  luim- 
bly  to  show  that,  whereas  the  inhabitants  of  a  certain  tract  of  land 
or  plantation  lying  in  the  county  of  Worcester,  formerly  known  by 
the  name  of  Rutland  District,  being  desirous  of  a  new  incorpora- 
tion, did,  in  the  year  1773,  petition  the  General  Assembly  of  this 
Colony  for  to  be  set  ofl'  as  a  town,  and  to  have  the  connection 
with  Rutland  cease  ;  and  we  so  far  succeeded  in  our  attempt  as  to 
obtain  tiie  approbation  and  conciu'rence  of  both  houses;  but  the 
matter  was  non-concurred  by  Governor  Hutchinson,  who  was 
then  in  the  chair,  unless  he  could  have  the  privilege  of  filling  the 
blank  ;  but  the  House  not  willing  to  give  up  what  they  viewed  as 
their  right,  the  matter  was  not  completed  till  Air.  Gage  took  the 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  85 

chair,  who  very  soon  after  gave  us  a  specimen  of  what  he  was,  or 
intended  to  be,  to  the  Colony,  by  filling  up  the  blank  with  that 
obnoxious  name  Hutchinson,  that  well-known  enemy  of  the 
natural  and  stipulated  rights  of  America,  which  £-ave  ms  a  very 
disagreeable  sensation  of  ?nind,  not  being  able  to  speak  of  the 
town  in  which  we  lived  but  our  thoughts  were  necessarily  turned 
upon  that  ignominious  enemy  of  mankind,  and  in  a  measure  filled 
with  shame  to  tell  where  we  live  when  requested.  Therefore, 
we,  your  humble  petitioners,  on  the  seventeenth  of  January  last,  at 
a  town  meeting  notified  for  the  purpose  of  taking  the  mind  of  the 
inhabitants  of  our  town,  passed  the  following  votes,  viz. :  Voted 
unanimously,  To  petition  the  General  Assembly  of  this  Colony 
to  take  oft^and  cancel  that  obnoxious  name  Hutchinson.  2.  Voted 
unanimously,  That  it  would  give  content  to  the  inhabitants  of  this 
town  to  be  incorporated  by  the  name  of  that  ever-memorable 
friend  to  the  rights  and  liberties  of  America,  Wilkes.  We,  your 
humble  petitioners,  wishing  success  to  the  American  cause,  ex- 
pecting our  petition  to  be  granted  which  we  in  duty  are  bound 
shall  ever  pray. 

(Signed) 

John  Mason, 
Nathan  Sparhawk, 
Peter  Fessenden, 
Andrew  Parker, 

"Hutchinson,  5th  February,  1776." 


Commiitee  in  behalf 
of  the  TovJtt. 


John  Mason  was  the  representative  of  the  town  that 
year.  The  petition  took  the  usual  course;  and  on  the 
seventh  of  November  —  four  months  and  three  days 
after  the  Declaration  of  Independence  —  an  Act  was 
passed  entitled:  "An  Act  for  Discontinuing  the  name 
of  a  Town  in  the  County  of  Worcester,  lately  incor- 
porated by  the  name  of  Hutchinson,  and  calling  the 
same  Barre."  With  the  foregoing  title,  the  Act  runs 
as  follows:  — 


86  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

"Whereas,  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Hutchinson  have, 
by  their  petition,  represented  to  this  Court,  that,  in  June,  1774, 
when  tlie  said  town  was  incorporated.  General  Gage,  the  then 
governor,  gave  it  the  name  of  Hutchinson,  in  honor  to,  and  to 
perpetuate  the  memory  of,  Thomas  Hutcliinson,  his  immediate 
predecessor  in  the  chair  of  government,  whom  they  justly  style 
the  well-known  enemy  of  the  natural  and  stipulated  rights  of 
America  ;  and  that,  at  a  town  meeting  notified  for  that  purpose, 
they  voted  unanimously  to  petition,  and  accordingly  have  peti- 
tioned, the  General  Court,  that  the  name  of  the  said  town  might 
be  altered,  and  that  it  might  no  longer  bear  the  disgraceful  name 
of  Hutchinson  ; 

"  And  whereas,  there  is  a  moral  fitness  that  traitors  and  par- 
ricides—  especially  such  as  have  remarkably  distinguished  them- 
selves in  that  odious  character,  and  have  long  labored  to  deprive 
their  native  country  of  its  most  valuable  rights  and  privileges, 
and  to  destroy  every  constitutional  guard  against  the  evils  of  an 
all-enslaving  despotism  —  should  be  held  up  to  public  view  in 
their  true  characters,  to  be  execrated  by  mankind  ;  and  that  there 
should  remain  no  other  memorials  of  them  than  such  as  will 
transmit  their  names  with  infamy  to  posterity  ; 

"  And  whereas,  the  said  Thomas  Hutchinson,  contrary  to  every 
obligation  of  duty  and  gratitude  to  this  his  native  country,  which 
raised  him  from  private  life  to  the  highest  and  most  lucrative 
offices  in  the  government,  has  acted  towards  her  the  part  of  a 
traitor  and  parricide,  as  above  described,  which  has  been  clearly 
manifested  to  the  world  by  his  letters  lately  published  ;  and,  by 
his  having  thus  acted,  it  has  become  fit  and  just  that  every  honor- 
able memorial  of  him  should  be  obliterated  and  cease; 

"  Therefore,  be  it  enacted  by  the  Council  and  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives of  the  State  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  in  General  Court 
assembled,  and  by  the  authority  of  the  same,  that  the  land  lying 
in  the  county  of  Worcester,  formerly  called  Rutland  District,  and 
in  June,  1774,  incorporated  into  a  town  by  the  name  of  Hutchin- 
son, shall  no  longer  bear  that  nam.e,  but  henceforth  shall  be  called 
and  known  by  the  name  of  Barre,  the  aforesaid  incorporating 
act  notwithstanding ;  and  all  officers  in  the  said  town  shall  hold 
and  exercise   their   offices   respectively  in  the   same  manner  as 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  87 

they  would  have  done  had  not  the  name  of  the  said  town  been 
altered. 

(Signed)  "  S.  Dalton,  Speaker^  fro  tcm. 

(Also  signed  by  the  Council.) 
"Nov.  7,  1776." 

The  petitioners,  it  will  have  been  seen,  suggested 
the  name  of  Wilkes.  John  Wilkes,  whom  they  pro- 
posed to  honor,  was  an  English  liberal  and  agitator  who 
espoused  our  cause  zealousl}^,  and  at  that  time  was 
much  applauded  by  the  patriots.  He  was  a  radical  of 
a  daring  spirit,  with  vigorous  powers  of  mind,  which 
he  employed  in  the  interest  of  the  people  against 
privilege.  But  he  was  turbulent  and  indiscreet;  was 
expelled  from  Parliament;  and  upon  a  second  and 
third  election  was  refused  a  seat,  but  was  at  last  ad- 
mitted to  the  same  Parliament  of  which  Colonel  Barre 
was  a  member.  In  compliment  to  both  these  friends 
of  America,  one  of  the  towns  of  Pennsylvania  took 
the  name  of  Wilkes-Barre.  Wilkes  was  a  man  of 
immense  popularity,  but  was  more  a  demagogue  than 
statesman;  and  of  his  personal  character  no  word  of 
commendation  can  be  spoken.  Let  us  rejoice,  then, 
that  the  "Great  and  General  Court"  did  not  put  upon 
us  the  name  of  Wilkes,  w^hen  it  took  away  the 
reproach  of  being  called  Hutchinson.  At  whose 
instance  the  name  of  Barre  was  given  to  the  town 
is  not  known.  In  the  Act,  as  in  that  incorpo- 
rating Hutchinson,  the  place  for  the  name  was  left 
blank,  and  was  filled  in  the  council-chamber  before 
receiving  the  approval  of  the  Executive. 

Between  the  petition   and  the  passage  of  the  Act, 


05  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

to  wit,  on  the   loth  of  June,  1776,   in   town  meeting, 
the  following  glorious  vote  was  passed:  — 

"  Voted,  To  ABIDE  BY  THE  CONTINENTAL  CoNGRESS  IF 
THEY  SHOULD  DECLARE  US  AN  INDEPENDENT  StATE,  AND  THAT 
WE  WILL  DEFEND  THE  SAME  WITPI  OUR  LiVES  AND  FORTUNES." 

And  in  less  than  a  month  the  Declaration  was 
made! 

In  October  of  that  year,  wearied  with  the  pro- 
tracted strugrgle  which  was  draining:  their  resources 
and  making  fresh  demands  for  men  difficult  to  meet, 
several  of  the  prominent  citizens,  in  apparent  con- 
travention of  the  vote  so  recently  passed,  drew  upon 
themselves  great  displeasure  by  signing  a  call  for  a 
town  meeting  "  to  consider  Lord  Howe's  Hand  Bill 
and  Declaration,  as  it  appears  to  us,  by  said  declara- 
tion, that  it  contains  as  much  as  that  all  the  acts  that 
we  complain  of  should  be  revised;  and  if  that  may 
be  depended  upon,  that  they  will  be  repealed,  and  our 
rights  and  privileges  established  to  us,  we  take  it  that 
is  all  the  Congress  pra3'ed  for  in  their  petitions;  and 
as  all  proposals  must  begin  somewhere,  we  think  it  is 
time  to  know  whether  the  people  of  this  town  mean 
to  fight  Great  Britain  only  for  independenc}^,  and  if  not, 
that  their  minds  may  be  known  thereon."  This  was 
the  language  of  accommodation.  It  was  the  expres- 
sion of  a  lingering  love  for  the  old  government  and  a 
painful  weariness  of  war.  This  feeling  was  shared,  it 
is  well  known,  by  large  numbers  in  several  of  the 
States.  Fortunately,  it  did  not  control  the  action  of 
any.     But  it  ought  not  to  be  regarded  as  impeaching 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  89 

either  the  honor  or  the  patriotism  of  those  in  whom 
it  appeared.  In  this  town  it  was  met  with  decided 
opposition*.  A  warrant  was  issued  as  requested,  but 
at  the  meeting  pursuant,  it  was  "  voted,  not  to  act 
upon  the  warrant^  This  vote,  undoubtedly,  meant 
not  only  opposition  but  indignation;  and  upon  its 
adoption  so  true  a  man  as  John  Black,  who  led  the 
Barre  minute-men  at  Bunker  Hill  only  a  year  before, 
on  the  January  ensuing  was  summaril}^  dropped  from 
all  town  offices.  John  Caldwell,  Esq.,  was  visited 
with  a  similar  fate;  and  even  William  Buckminster, 
still  feeble  from  his  severe  wound,  scarcel}^  escaped 
it.  The  town  was  right.  The  time  for  accommoda- 
tion had  gone  by.  But  these  good  and  true  men 
thought,  or  hoped,  differently;  and,  in  consequence, 
suffered  the  loss,  for  a  while,  of  the  good  opinion  of 
their  townsmen.  John  Caldwell  was  censured  more 
and  suffered  longer  than  the  rest;  and  it  is  not 
unlikely  that  his  impatience  at  the  rejection  of 
his  counsels  gave  some  occasion  for  suspecting  his 
patriotism.  The  other  signers  very  soon  began  to 
participate  again  in  public  affairs  with  the  entire 
confidence  and  respect  of  the  people  of  the  town; 
and  after  a  few  years  he  himself  was  restored  to 
political  favor  and  office. 

In  the  same  month  of  October  the  town  voted 
"  to  authorize  the  present  House  of  Representatives 
to  frame  a  Constitution  of  government  for  the  State." 
But  when  the  constitution  had  been  framed,  and  the 
vote   was    taken    on  its  acceptance  eighteen  months 


go  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

later,  April  27,  1778,  the  town,  acting  with  a  great 
majority  of  the  people  of  the  State,  rejected  it. 
Again,  in  April,  1779,  it  was  voted  by  the  legislature 
to  call  a  convention  of  delegates  of  the  towns  to  meet 
at  Cambridge  on  the  first  of  September  following,  for 
the  express  purpose  of  framing  a  form  of  government. 
The  convention  was  held.  It  was  an  able  and  dig- 
nified body.  Many  of  the  most  distinguished  men  of 
the  State  were  members;  among  them  James  Bow- 
doin,  John  Adams,  John  Lowell,  Theophilus  Parsons, 
James  Sullivan,  to  name  no  more.  In  this  important 
convention,  Barre  was  represented  by  those  clear- 
sighted and  trusty  men,  always  foremost  when  any 
grave  public  service  was  to  be  rendered,  John  Mason, 
Esq.,  Lieut.  Andrew  Parker,  and  Lieut.  Asa  Hap- 
good.  A  frame  of  government  was  agreed  upon  by 
the  convention  and  proposed  to  the  people.  It  was 
discussed  freely,  chapter  by  chapter,  in  every  town 
of  the  State,  so  attentive  were  the  people  to  all  things 
connected  with  their  rights  and  liberties.  In  this 
town  it  was  carefully  examined,  and,  as  it  failed  to 
give  entire  satisfaction,  a  committee  of  seven  was 
appointed  to  report  amendments  at  an  adjourned 
meeting  of  the  convention.  This  committee  consisted 
of  the  Rev.  Josiah  Dana,  Ebenezer  Rice,  Esq.,  John 
Caldwell,  Esq.  (risen  again),  Benjamin  Lee,  Lieut. 
Andrew  Parker,  John  Mason,  Esq.,  and  Lieut.  Corlis 
Hinds  (a  new  name).  The  Rev.  Mr.  Dana,  Chair- 
man, reported  amendments,  some  of  which  would 
hardly  find  supporters  in   Barre  to-day.     (i)   "That 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  9I 

no  person  shall  be  eligible  to  office  either  as  gov- 
ernor, lieutenant-governor,  councillor,  senator,  or  rep- 
resentative, unless  he  declare  himself  to  be  of  the 
Protestant  religionP  (2)  "  That  no  person  shall  be 
eligible  to  any  office  in  the  legislature  who  does  not 
contribute  to  the  support  of  the  civil  government." 
(3)  "  That  the  governor,  lieut. -governor,  senators, 
councillors,  or  representatives,  ought  not  to  serve 
more  than  four  years  out  of  seven."  (4)  "  That  no 
person  shall  have  a  seat  in  Congress  and  the  State 
legislature  at  the  same  time."  (5)  "A  particular 
day  should  be  appointed  for  choice  of  Representa- 
tives." (6)  "  Each  town  to  nominate  one  Justice  of 
the  Peace."  These  proposed  amendments  were  re- 
ferred, no  doubt,  to  the  appropriate  committee;  and 
that  was  the  last  that  was  heard  of  them.  A  Consti- 
tution, in  a  new  draught,  was  shortly  submitted  to 
the  people,  and  their  votes  for  or  against  it  were 
directed  to  be  taken  the  first  Wednesday  in  June, 
1780;  and  at  that  date  it  appeared  that  more  than 
two-thirds  of  the  votes  were  in  its  favor. 

Not  long  after  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution,  to 
wit.  May  i,  1781,  arose  the  famous  "  Barre  Slave 
Case,"  a  detailed  account  of  which,  from  the  learned 
and  accurate  pen  of  Professor  Emory  Washburn,  was 
published  a  few  years  ago  in  "  Proceedings  of  the 
Massachusetts  Historical  Societ}^"  The  case  w^as 
first  tried  before  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  at 
Worcester,  and  afterwards,  on  appeal,  before  the 
Supreme  Court.    There  were,  in  fact,  two  cases;  one 


92  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

of  Quork  Walker  v.  Nathaniel  Jennlson,  who  claimed 
to  be  his  owner,  declaring  "that  at  the  time  of  suing 
out  the  writ,  and  long  before,  and  ever  since,  the  said 
Quork  was  the  proper  negro  slave  of  the  said  Na- 
thaniel." To  which  the  plaintiff  replied,  "  that  he, 
the  said  Qiiork,  is  a  free  man,  and  not  the  proper 
slave  of  the  said  Nathaniel,"  and  tendered  an  issue  to 
the  jury,  which  was  joined  by  the  defendant.  The 
verdict  was  for  the  plaintiff.  The  other  case  was  an 
action  brought  by  Jennison  against  John  and  Seth 
Caldwell,  alleging  that,  "on  April  2,  1781,  at  Barre, 
a  certain  negro  man  named  Qiiarco  [the  same  as 
Quork]  was  the  plaintiff's  servant,  and  was  kept,  re- 
tained, and  employed  in  and  about  his  proper  affairs 
and  business;  yet,  the  defendants  ....  unlawfully 
solicited  and  seduced  the  said  negro  man  from  the 
business  and  service  of  the  plaintiff  ....  and  em- 
ployed the  said  negro  in  their  own  proper  business; 
and  did  hinder,  prevent,  and  molest  him  in  claiming 
and  reducing  his  said  servant  to  his  business  and  ser- 
vice," &c.,  &c.  The  trial  resulted  in  a  verdict  and 
judgment  for  the  plaintiff'.  The  defendants  appealed 
to  September  term,  1781,  of  the  Supreme  Judicial 
Court;  and  upon  a  trial  there  were  found  not  guilty, 
and  had  judgments  for  costs  against  the  plaintiff.  At 
this  same  term  of  the  Court  an  indictment  was  found 
against  Jennison  for  assault  on  Qiiock  Walker,  —  "the 
said  Quock  did  beat,  bruise,  and  evilly  entreat,  and 
him  the  said  Quock,  without  warrant,  just  cause,  or 
lawful  authority,  did  imprison,  during  the  space  of 
two  hours,  &c." 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  93 

This  case  did  not  come  to  trial,  as  appears  by  the 
records,  till  the  April  term  of  1783,  when  the  ques- 
tion of  the  right  of  slavery  under  the  constitution  was 
fully  argued,  and  it  was  settled  for  ever  that  slavery 
v^as  wholly  abolished  in  this  Commonwealth  by  the 
Declaration  of  Rights  prefixed  to  the  Constitution  of 
1780.  It  was  tried  before  the  full  bench,  Cushing 
Chief  Justice.  The  minutes  of  the  Chief  Justice  on 
this  trial  have  been  lately  brought  to  light  by  Mr. 
William  Cushing  Paine,  the  namesake  and  great 
grand-nephew  of  Chief  Justice  Cushing.  Those  of 
his  charge  cannot  fail  to  be  of  an  interest  at  this  day 
corresponding  to  the  great  importance  of  the  question 
involved. 

*'  Fact  proved. 

"Justification  that  Qiiack  is  a  slave,  —  and  to  prove  it  'tis  said 
that  Quack,  when  a  child  about  9  months  old,  with  his  father 
and  mother,  was  sold  by  bill  of  sale  in  17^4?  about  29  years  ago, 
to  Mr.  Caldwell,  now  deceased  ;  that,  when  he  died,  Qiiack  was 
appraised  as  part  of  the  personal  estate,  and  set  off  to  the  widow 
in  her  share  of  the  personal  estate  ;  that  Mr.  Jennison,  marrying 
her,  was  entitled  to  Qiiack  as  his  property  ;  and  therefore  that  he 
had  a  right  to  bring  him  home  when  he  ran  away  ;  and  that  the 
defendant  only  took  proper  measures  for  that  purpose.  And  the 
defendant's  counsel  also  rely  on  some  former  laws  of  the  Province 
which  give  countenance  to  slavery. 

"  To  this  it  is  answered  that,  if  he  ever  was  a  slave  he  was  lib- 
erated both  by  his  master 'Caldwell,  and  by  the  widow  after  his 
death,  the  first  of  whom  promised  and  engaged  he  should  be  free 
at  25,  the  other  at  21. 

"  As  to  the  doctrine  of  slavery  and  the  right  of  Christians  to 
hold  Africans  in  perpetual  servitude,  and  sell  and  treat  them  as 
we  do  our  horses  and  cattle,  that  (it  is  true)  has  been  heretofore 


94  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

countenanced  by  the  Province  Laws  formerly,  but  nowhere  is  it 
expressly  enacted  or  established.  It  has  been  a  usage,  —  a  usage 
which  took  its  origin  from  the  practice  of  some  of  the  European 
nations,  and  the  regulations  of  British  government  respecting  the 
then  colonies,  for  the  benefit  of  trade  and  wealth.  But  whatever 
sentiments  have  formerly  prevailed  in  this  particular,  or  slid  in 
upon  us  by  the  example  of  others,  a  different  idea  has  taken  place 
with  the  people  of  America,  more  favorable  to  the  natural  rights 
of  mankind,  and  to  that  natural  innate  desire  of  Liberty  with 
which  Heaven  (without  regard  to  color,  complexion,  or  shape  of 
noses)  (features)  has  inspired  all  the  human  race.  And  upon  this 
ground  our  Constitution  of  Government,  by  which  the  people  of 
this  Commonwealth  have  solemnly  bound  themselves,  sets  out 
with  declaring  that  all  men  are  born  free  and  equal  —  and  that 
every  subject  is  entitled  to  liberty,  and  to  have  it  guarded  by  the 
laws,  as  well  as  life  and  property  —  and,  in  short,  is  totally  repug- 
nant to  the  idea  of  being  born  slaves.  This  being  the  case,  I  think 
the  idea  of  slavery  is  inconsistent  with  our  own  conduct  and  Con- 
stitution, and  there  can  be  no  such  thing  as  perpetual  servitude 
of  a  rational  creature,  unless  his  liberty  is  forfeited  by  some  crim- 
inal conduct  or  given  up  by  personal  consent  or  contract. 

"  Verdict,  gtiiltyr 

"  It  can  hardly  be  doubted,"  says  Chief  Justice  Gray,  "  that 
the  case  of  Jennison  v.  Caldwell  is  the  one  to  which  Chief  Justice 
Parsons,  in  iSoS,  referred  in  these  words:  "In  the  first  action 
involving  the  right  of  the  master,  which  came  before  the  Supreme 
Judicial  Court,  after  the  establishment  of  the  Constitution,  the 
judges  declared  that,  by  virtue  of  the  first  article  of  the  declara- 
tion of  Rights,  slavery  in  this  State  was  no  more."* 

From  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  to  the  Treaty 
of  Peace  in  1783,  the  town  was  busily  and  anxiously 
engaged  in  providing  men,  clothing,  and  money  for 

*  See  "  Proceedings  of  the  Mass.  Historical  Society  from  January  to 
June,  1874."  For  a  full  treatment  of  this  wliole  question,  see  paper  by 
Professor  Washburn  in  the  "  Proceedings  of  the  Mass.  His.  Soc,"  1S55- 
1858,  pp.  191-203. 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  95 

the  prosecution  of  the  war.  It  was  a  period  of  de- 
pression and  difficulty;  and  there  were  diversities  of 
opinion  in  respect  to  the  matter  of  equahzing  the  bur- 
dens of  the  citizens  and  the  pay  of  their  soldiers.  But 
these  were  happily  overcome,  and  when  the  day  of 
Peace  dawned  there  was  but  one  mind  and  one  heart 
in  the  triumphant  acclaim. 

The  treaty  was  arranged  and  provisional  articles 
were  signed  November  30th,  1782.  These  articles 
were  brought  before  Parliament  in  the  January  fol- 
lowing; but  the  definitive  Treaty  was  not  signed  till 
September  3d,  1783.  Meantime,  a  representative  was 
chosen  to  the  General  Court  which  met  in  June,  and 
to  him  the  town  gave  the  following  pithy  instruc- 
tions: — 

"  Nathan  Sparhawk,  Esq. 

"Sir,  —  Having  made  choice  of  you  to  represent  the  town  in 
General  Court  the  year  ensuing,  we  confide  in  your  integrity  and 
good  understanding  to  conduct  the  public  affairs  in  our  behalf  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  promote  the  interest  and  safety  of  the  Com- 
monwealth at  large  and  of  this  town  in  particular.  It  is  neverthe- 
less our  unalienable  right  to  communicate  to  you  our  sentiments 
when  we  shall  judge  it  necessary  or  convenient  and  to  give  you 
our  instructions  on  any  special  matters,  and  we  expect  you  will 
hold  yourself  bound  at  all  times  to  attend  to  and  observe  them. 
You  will  constantly  bear  it  on  your  mind  that  this  Commonwealth 
is  free,  sovereign,  and  independent,  and  that  it  retains  every  power, 
jurisdiction,  and  right  which  is  not  by  the  Confederation  or  may 
not  hereafter  by  the  people  be  expressly  delegated  to  the  United 
States  in  Congress  assembled.  You  will  therefore  conceive  it  to 
be  your  bounden  duty  in  your  legislative  capacity  to  exercise  the 
powers  of  the  Commonwealth  vested  in  you  with  your  utmost 
wisdom,  to  guard  its  rights  with   all  possible  vigilance,  and  take 


96  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

care  that  its  sovereign  jurisdiction  be  not  impaired  or  unreason- 
ably delegated  to  other  persons  beside  those  in  whom  the  Consti- 
tution has  vested  it,  on  any  pretence  whatever.  Self-preservation 
is  said  to  be  the  first  law  of  nature.  It  holds  good  equally  with 
societies  and  individuals.  You  will  carefully  advert  to  those  prin- 
ciples which  are  essential  to  the  preservation  of  a  free  Common- 
wealth ;  in  this  you  will  be  greatly  aided  by  our  excellent  frame  of 
government  and  the  Declaration  of  Rights  which  we  recommend 
to  your  frequent  perusal.  There  we  find  it  to  be  the  express  sen- 
timent of  the  body  of  this  people,  that  the  preservation  of  good 
government  essentially  depends  upon  Piety,  religion,  and  morality  ; 
and  that  these  cannot  be  generally  infused  among  a  community 
but  by  the  institution  of  the  public  worship  of  God  ;  that  Wisdom 
and  Knowledge  as  well  as  Virtue  are  necessary  to  the  preservation 
of  the  Rights  and  Liberties  of  the  people  ;  that  piety,  justice, 
moderation,  temperance,  industry,  and  frugality,  are  absolutely 
necessary  to  preserve  the  advantages  of  liberty.  These  are  the 
principles  of  our  Constitution  which  it  was  incumbent  on  us  very 
particularly  to  attend  to,  in  our  choice  of  you  to  represent  us  ; 
and  we  require  of  you  the  strict  observance  of  them  in  the  part 
you  shall  take  in  the  formation  of  all  laws  necessary  for  the  good 
administration  of  the  affairs  of  the  Commonwealth.  We  shall 
always  submit  cheerfully  to  laws  formed  on  those  principles,  and 
wish  for  as  powerful  a  system  as  human  wisdom  can  contrive. 
At  the  same  time  as  faithful  citizens  we  must  enjoin  it  upon  you 
to  use  your  utmost  influence  that  the  Act  of  the  Commonwealth 
entitled  an  Act  for  the  due  observance  of  the  Lord's  day  and  other 
penal  laws  may  be  carefully  considered,  that  such  of  them  as  are 
repugnant  to  the  rights  and  liberties  contained  in  the  Constitution 
may  be  altered  and  amended  or  repealed.  Moreover,  in  tiie 
aforesaid  Declaration  of  Rights  the  impartial  interpretation  of  the 
law  and  administration  of  justice  are  expressly  held  to  be  essential 
to  the  preservation  of  the  rights  of  every  individual,  his  life,  lib- 
erty, property,  and  character.  You  will  also  take  care  that  the 
three  great  powers  of  government,  the  Legislative,  Executive, 
and  Judicial,  be  kept  distinct,  agreeable  to  the  letter  of  our  Con- 
stitution and  the  spirit  of  our  free  government.  This  we  more 
especially  remind  you  of  inasmuch  as  we  believe  there  has  been  an 
interference  in  the  exercise  of  these  several  powers  which  leads 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  97 

to  a  fatal  change  of  a  free  commonwealth  for  tyranny  or  anarchy 
and  confusion. 

"  We  cannot  too  warmly  express  our  gratitude  to  Almighty 
God  who  hath  smiled  on  the  virtuous  struggles  of  the  United 
States  and  crowned  the  conflict  with  so  happy  a  conclusion.  Our 
Independence  is  confirmed,  —  a  blessing  for  which  patriots  have 
long  toiled  and  heroes  fought  and  bled.  Posterity  can  never 
justly  charge  us  with  tamely  surrendering  their  rights.  We  and 
they  shall  be  free  so  long  as  we  desire  freedom.  It  will  depend 
upon  our  virtue. 

"But  while  we  contemplate  the  Treaty  in  general  with  pleas- 
ure, we  cannot  help  feeling  anxious  for  the  event  of  the  fifth  arti- 
cle,* which  respects  those  men  who  fled  from  their  country  when 
its  liberties  were  invaded  and  took  refuge  in  the  dominions  of  the 
invader.  Congress  can  only  recommend.  They  will  not  obtrude 
citizens  in  any  of  the  States,  much  less  declared  traitors.  Agree- 
able to  the  Treaty  of  Peace  the  town  wishes  for  no  recollection 
of  past  disputes  with  Great  Britain,  no  repetition  of  past  injuries, 

*  "  Bj  the  fifth  article  it  is  agreed  that  the  Congress  shall  earnestly  recom- 
mend it  to  the  legislatures  of  the  respective  States,  to  provide  for  the  resti- 
tution of  all  estates,  rights  and  properties  which  have  been  confiscated 
belonging  to  real  British  subjects,  and  also  of  the  estafes,  rights,  and 
properties  of  persons  resident  in  districts  in  the  possession  of  his  majesty's 
arms  and  who  have  not  borne  arms  against  the  said  United  States ;  and 
that  persons  of  any  other  description  shall  have  free  liberty  to  go  to  any 
part  or  parts  of  any  of  the  Thirteen  United  States  and  therein  to  remain 
twelve  months  unmolested  in  their  endeavors  to  obtain  the  restitution  of 
such  of  their  estates,  rights  and  properties  as  may  have  been  confiscated: 
and  that  Congress  shall  earnestly  recommend  to  the  several  States  a  recon- 
sideration and  revision  of  all  acts  or  laws  regarding  the  premises,  so  as  to 
render  the  said  laws  and  acts  perfectly  consistent  not  only  with  justice  and 
equity  but  with  that  spirit  of  conciliation  which  on  the  return  of  the 
blessings  of  peace  should  universally'  prevail.  And  that  Congress  shall 
also  recommend  to  the  several  States  that  the  estates,  rights  and  properties 
of  such  last-mentioned  persons  shall  be  restored  to  them,  they  refunding 
to  any  persons  who  may  be  now  in  possession  the  bona  fide  price  (when 
any  has  been  given)  such  persons  may  have  paid  on  purchasing  any  of 
the  said  lands,  rights  or  properties  since  the  confiscation.  And  it  is 
agreed  that  all  persons  who  have  any  interest  in  confiscated  lands,  either 
by  debts,  marriage  settlements  or  otherwise,  shall  meet  with  no  lawful 
impediment  in  the  prosecution  of  their  just  rights." 

13 


98  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

but,  the  seeds  of  discord  being  excluded,  that  a  beneficial  inter- 
course may  be  established  between  the  two  countries  so  as  to  pro- 
mote and  serve  to  perpetuate  peace  and  harmony,  which  would 
be  extremely  difficult  were  these  persons  to  reside  among  us 
whom  this  country  regards  as  the  occasion  of  interrupting  that 
intercourse  formerly,  and  the  cause  of  all  this  suffering;  especially 
as  these  wretched  beings  have  already  begun  quarrels  with  that 
peace,  and  those  who  made  it,  which  terminates  a  long,  bloody, 
unnatui'al  war.  Therefore,  in  the  opinion  of  this  town,  the  happi- 
ness, the  liberties,  interests,  and  safety  of  these  States  forbid  us  to 
suffer  persons  of  the  above  description  to  become  the  subjects  of 
and  to  reside  in  this  government.  It  would  not  only  be  danger- 
ous but  inconsistent  with  Justice,  Policy,  our  past  Laws,  the  public 
Faith,  and  the  Principles  of  a  Free  and  Independent  State,  to  admit 
them  ourselves  or  have  them  forced  upon  us  without  our  consent. 
"  As  every  transaction  of  the  respectable  body  of  which  you 
are  a  part  concerns  the  public  at  large  as  well  as  us  particularly, 
constant  and  unremitted  attention  to  business  is  strictly  recom- 
mended and  enjoined  upon  you. 

John  Williams,    "1 
Andrew^  Parker,   >  Committee. 
Benjamin  Lee,       J 
"  Barre,  March  26,  1783." 

John  Williams  is  a  new  name  in  our  annals.  He 
was  a  popular  physician,  and  married  a  daughter  of 
Captain  Ezra  Jones.  He  removed  before  the  end  of 
the  century  to  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  thence  in  1806 
to  Cambridgeport,  where  he  is  still  remembered  as  an 
amiable  and  courteous  "gentleman  of  the  old  school," 
with  powdered  hair  and  a  quelle,  always  dressed 
in  drab-colored  clothes,  busy  in  his  garden,  experi- 
menting and  compounding  medicines  in  his  chemical 
laboratory,  a  constant  and  devout  attendant  on  the 
public   worship   of  the  Unitarian   church,  erect  and 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  99 

active  at  the  age  of  ninety  years,  an  obliging  neigh- 
bor, and  useful  citizen. 

Other  new  names  will  soon  follow.  "  Your  fathers, 
where  are  they.^  and  the  prophets,  do  they  live  for 
ever  ? " 

During  the  thirty  years  preceding  peace  little  or 
nothing  had  been  done  in  the  way  of  repairing  and 
preserving  the  meeting-house,  and  it  was  beginning 
to  show  signs  of  decay.  The  question  whether  to 
repair  the  old  or  to  build  a  new  one,  became  a  matter 
of  general  discussion.  As  the  result  of  the  discussion, 
a  committee  was  appointed  by  the  town,  January  3, 
1783,  to  consider  the  subject.  In  their  report  they 
say:  "Taking  into  consideration  the  intimations  we 
have  of  late  of  a  peace  which,  if  we  are  favored  with 
so  great  a  blessing,  will  make  a  very  considerable 
alteration  in  the  circumstances  of  men  and  things,  we 
recommend  a  postponement  till  September."  Noth- 
ing more  appears  to  have  been  done  until  two  years 
later,  when  the  business  was  taken  up  in  earnest,  and 
at  the  same  time  a  considerable  addition  was  made 
by  purchase  to  the  common  or  meeting-house  lot. 
The  committee  to  whom  was  entrusted  the  plans  and 
arrangements  for  building  were  Lieut.  John  Patrick, 
Deacon  Isaac  Tobey,  a  native  of  Berkley,  Capt.  Joel 
Bent,  Benjamin  Jenkins,  Jr.,  Deacon  Andrew  Parker, 
Mr.  Francis  Nurss,  Dr.  Ephraim  Brooks.  It  was  first 
decided  that  "  the  size  of  the  house  should  be  sixty- 
eight  by  fifty-four  feet."  The  committee  hit  upon  a 
novel  way  of  ascertaining  the  cost  and  providing  for 


lOO  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

it.  They  estimated  the  number  and  value  of  each 
stick  of  timber  from  bottom  to  top,  the  roof,  rafters, 
shingles,  boards,  and  mouldings;  and  before  a  blow 
was  struck  they  sold  pews  at  auction  for  enough  to 
cover  the  whole  expense.  They  then  allowed  each 
man  who  had  bought  a  pew  to  bring  into  the  com- 
mittee such  material  as  he  might,  to  be  used  and 
allowed  for  at  a  stipulated  rate.  This  was  excellent 
econom}^  and  gave  to  every  contributor  a  sense  of 
responsibility  in  the  matter.  There  were  eighty-six 
pews.  The  amount  realized  by  their  sale  was 
£1184.  6s. 

But,  after  all,  there  came  a  hitch.  What  caused -it 
does  not  exactly  appear;  but  it  is  evident  that  when 
good  progress  had  been  made  in  collecting  the  mate- 
rials some  disagreement  arose  about  the  pews,  and 
at  an  adjourned  meeting,  March  19,  1787,  it  was  voted 
"  to  reconsider  all  former  votes  and  postpone  the 
building  a  year."  Meanwhile  the  committee  was 
instructed  "  to  get  what  more  was  needed,  make  the 
best  arrangement  they  can  to  collect  the  fifteen  per 
cent  forfeited  by  those  who  decline  to  take  the  pews 
they  had  bid  off,  and  build  the  meeting-house  accord- 
ing to  their  best  discretion."  No  further  difficulty 
occurred.  When  the  house  was  ready  to  be  raised, 
May  12,  1788,  the  town  voted,  "That  the  committee 
make  suitable  provisions  as  to  victuals  and  Drink  for 
the  raising  of  the  new  meeting-house.  Drink  only 
for  spectators !  "  It  was  probably  not  considered  safe 
for  those   engaged   in    the    complicated    and    hazard- 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  lOl 

ous  business  of  lifting  up  the  heavy  framework  and 
putting  the  numerous  pieces  in  the  mortises,  which 
required  a  steady  head  and  steady  legs,  to  taste  the 
liquor,  at  least  till  the  last  pin  had  been  driven, 
and  the  rounds  of  cheers  from  the  spectators  had 
greeted  the  ears  of  the  workmen  and  rung  through 
the  village.  A  raising  in  those  days  of  even  a  dwell- 
ing-house or  barn  was  an  important  affair,  and  drew 
together  not  only  the  residents  of  the  neighborhood 
but  persons  from  all  parts  of  the  town.  The  con- 
course was  often  large.  When  they  were  assembled, 
and  the  workmen  were  at  their  posts,  at  a  signal  all 
uncovered;  and  the  minister,  standing  on  the  founda- 
tion, lifted  up  his  voice  in  prayer,  praying  that  the 
work  in  hand  might  be  carried  forward  without  acci- 
dent; that  the  building  might  be  completed  to  the 
satisfaction  of  the  owner;  that  it  might  be  saved  from 
the  ravages  of  lire;  and  (if  a  dwelling-house)  that  it 
might  long  be  an  abode  of  hospitality,  love,  and  piety. 
My  own  recollection  recalls  such  prayers.  After  the 
prayer,  the  toddy  was  passed  round  among  the  thirsty 
spectators ! 

Nothing  more  is  related  of  this  undertaking  until 
October  of  the  next  year,  when  there  was  an  article 
in  the  warrant  for  a  town  meeting,  "  to  see  if  the 
town  will  meet  for  the  public  worship  of  God  for 
the  time  to  come  in  the  new  meeting-house."  At  the 
meeting  which  followed,  it  was  voted,  "  To  meet  the 
Sunday  after  next,  it  being  the  seventh  day  of  Novem- 
ber, 1790,  for  the  public  worship  of  God  in  the  new 


I02  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

meeting-house,  for  the  time  to  come."  It  was  also 
voted,  "  To  choose  a  committee  to  settle  with  the 
town-committee  for  building,  to  report  at  an  adjourned 
meeting."  At  the  adjournment,  they  reported  the 
cost  of  the  meeting-house  to  be  .  £1201  i  6 
Due  from  individuals  for  pews  ...  29   12  7J 

£1230   14  i^ 
Amount  received  for  sale  of  pews  in 

notes 1 182   18  6 


£47   15   7i 
The  old  meeting-house  sold  for     .     .  37   14  2 

Balance £10     i   52 

The  committee  also  reported  that  the  building 
committee  "  deserve  the  thanks  of  the  town  for  their 
faithfulness  in  executing  of  their  trust."  And  the 
"  Thanks  were  voted." 

It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  the  town  would  not 
agree  to  go  into  their  new  house  for  worship  till  all 
accounts  were  made  up  and  debts  discharged.  If  any 
remained,  as  it  appears,  from  a  report  of  the  commit- 
tee two  years  later,  a  few  did,  they  were  very  small. 
That  excellent  report  is  worth  preserving.  It  is  as 
follows :  — 
"  To  THE  Inhabitants  of  the  Town  of  Barre,  in  Town  Meeting 

ASSEMBLED, 

"Gentlemen,  —  We,  your  committee  for  building  the  new 
meeting-house,  ask  leave  to  report,  viz  :  We  have  made  a  final 
settlement  with  every  man  who  worked  at  said  House  or  was  any 
way  concerned  in  finding  provisions  or  by  boarding  workmen, 
or  any  other  way  concerned  in  said  work  being  performed,  and 
we  find  there  is  yet  due  to  Capt.  Joel  Bent  One  pound  Four 
shillings £1.     4- 


Committee- 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  IO3 

And  we  find  that  on  settlement  with  Mr.  Samuel  Low 
there  is  yet  due  to  him  his  pay  for  three  days  work 
which  through   mistake  was  not  allowed  to  William 

Forbes  which  is o.   I3. 

Furthermore,  there  is  yet  due  to  your  committee  for  their 
trouble  in  performing  a  number  of  small  and  trouble- 
some matters  which  they  have  now  completed  by  set- 
tling with  every  man,  and  the  said  committee  think 
tliey  ought  to  receive  for  their  above-mentioned  trouble 
six  shillings  each  which  is  One  Pound,  ten  Shillings  .     £1.  10. 

John  Black, 
John  Patrick, 
Benj.  Jenkins, 

Joel  Bent, 

"  Sept.  3,    1792." 

Not  far  from  the  meeting-house  and  in  every  re- 
mote neighborhood  was  a  burying-ground;  and  when- 
ever a  death  occurred  the  remains  were  borne  on  a 
bier  to  their  final  resting-place.*  Often  the  distance 
was  long  and  the  service  of  the  bearers  wearisome. 
For  greater  ease  and  convenience,  the  town  voted, 
March,  1789,  "to  procure  a  carriage  to  carry  the 
corpse  from  any  distressed  house  to  the  burying- 
ground." 

As  far  as  the  inference  may  be  drawn  from  the 
entries  in  the  Records,  the  church,  during  this  period 
of  its  history,  had  a  good  degree  of  prosperity  and 
peace.  One  case  of  church  discipline  only,  growing 
out  of  the  alleged  complicity  of  a  member  in  Shay's 
rebellion,  occurred.     It  is  a  little  curious,  particularly 

*  The  location  of  the  first  meeting-house  was  nearly  opposite  the 
present  post-office;  that  of  the  second  at  the  east  side  of  the  Park;  while 
the  meeting-house  lot  in  the  Proprietors'  plan  was  a  little  south  of  the 
house  of  Samuel  Hamilton. 


I04  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

in  the  manner  of  Its  termination.  After  many  prayers 
and  conferences  between  the  aggrieved  church  and 
the  offending  brother,  he  at  last  came  to  his  knees  in 
the  following  rather  Pickwickian  apology:  — 

"  Whereas  there  has  been  long  difficulties  in  this  church  occa- 
sioned by  the  part  I  took  in  tlie  winter  of  1786-7,  and  many 
things  that  have  been  said  and  done  since  have  increased  the 
difficulties  between  me  and  the  church — I  now  say  that  I  would 
wish  to  do  any  thing  in  my  power  to  prevent  further  trouble  to 
the  church  or  myself  and  to  heal  the  difficulties  among  us.  And 
I  am  willing  to  confess  that  in  matters  of  government  of  a  civil 
nature  I  have  acted  under  too  great  a  degree  of  zeal,  as  I  should 
not  do  if  I  should  act  the  part  again.  And  I  am  sorry  that  my 
overt  acts  have  given  offence,  and  wish  my  brethren  to  forgive  me. 
And  as  to  my  statement  of  facts  wherein  my  veracity  is  concerned, 
if  I  have  made  any  error  I  now  declare  that  it  was  without  design, 
and  ask  my  brethren  to  pass  by  my  faults  and  restore  me  to  their 

charity. 

(Signed)  "  Richard  Mills. 

"  Barre,  Aug.  17,  1791." 

"  Voted  satisfactor}^;  "  and  the  church  "  had  rest." 
Here  we  turn  again  from  the  church  to  the  in- 
terests of  education,  next  in  importance.  The  first 
settlers  of  this  town,  before  school-houses  could  be 
built,  opened  rooms  in  their  own  houses,  as  we  have 
seen,  where  the  children  could  be  gathered  for  in- 
struction, and  whenever  they  appropriated  money  for 
the  support  of  religion  they  did  the  same  for  the 
schools.  The  annual  appropriations  were  liberal  for 
their  circumstances;  and  all  through  the  war  they 
were  continued  without  material  diminution. 

In  the  year  1790,  it  was  voted  "  to  assess  the  in- 
habitants £400  to  build  eight  school-houses,"  having 
previously  divided  the  town  into  eight  school-districts. 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  IO5 

It  was  also  voted,  that  "  a  committee  be  appointed  to 
ascertain  each  man's  proportion,  and  to  assign  to  each 
man  an  equal  lot  in  providing  materials  as  near  as 
may  be,  according  to  their  best  judgment."  And,  to 
make  all  sure,  a  standing  committee  of  three  was 
chosen,  1792,  "to  examine  the  several  school-houses 
now  building  and  to  be  built  by  the  town,  and  to 
report,  as  fast  as  completed,  respecting  the  goodness 
of  the  several  buildings,  and  the  economy  of  the  re- 
spective committees  in  laying  out  the  town's  money; 
and  lay  the  several  accounts  before  the  town  at  the 
time  or  times  the  said  meetings  may  be  adjourned  to." 
In  an  interesting  table  of  statistics,  prepared  with  great 
care  and  labor  by  our  respected  townsman,  Dr.  Rus- 
sell, are  found  the  sums  annually  appropriated  for  the 
support  of  schools  from  the  forty  pounds  of  1776  to 
the  four  thousand  nine  hundred  dollars  of  1873. 

The  first  mention  of  a  school-committee  occurs  un- 
der date  of  1799,  when  the  Rev.  Josiah  Dana,  Major 
Caldwell,  and  Deacon  Jonas  Eaton  were  chosen  "a 
committee  to  visit  schools." 

Though  much  is  left  untold,  the  story  of  the  Barre 
of  the  eighteenth  century  here  closes.  "  The  little 
one  has  become  a  thousand."  On  every  hand  are 
evidences  of  thrift  and  plenty.  The  valleys  shine 
with  golden  grain,  and  the  hills  are  clothed  with  verd- 
ure. The  cattle  find  rich  and  ample  pasture.  The 
shelves  of  the  dairies  glisten  with  well  kept  pans  of 
creamy  milk  or  bend  with  long  rows  of  finest  cheese, 

14 


I06  BARRE  CENTENNIAL. 

pride  of  the  laborious  housewife.  Orchards  make  a 
part  of  every  homestead,  the  forty  apple-trees  brought 
by  good  Mr.  Allen  on  the  back  of  his  horse  from 
Lexington  having  multiplied  to  forty  hundred;  while 
their  fruit,  ground  and  pressed,  sets  tider  running 
at  every  man's  door.  Handsome  houses  rise  on  the 
eminences  near  the  village,  and  within  them  healthy 
children  laugh  and  play.  In  the  farm-houses,  women 
"  seek  wool  and  flax,  and  work  diligently  with  their 
hands;"  and  there  is  heard,  morning  and  evening,  the 
whizz  of  the  little  wheel  for  flax  and  the  buzz  of 
the  big  wheel  for  wool,  and  the  clatter  and  thump  of 
the  hand-loom  weaving  fabrics  for  family  wear.  The 
mother  "  rises  up  while  it  is  yet  dark  and  gives  meat 
to  her  household,  and  a  portion  to  her  maidens." 

During  the  last  quarter  of  the  century  many  new 
heads  of  families  came  in  to  replace  those  who  had 
finished  their  course.  Near  every  little  settlement 
were  small  inclosures  of  grass-grown  graves  by  the 
side  of  which  mourners  had  stood  in  pensive  silence, 
over  which  they  had  bent  with  streaming  eyes. 

"  Beneath  those  rugged  elms,  that  yew-tree's  shade, 
Where  heaves  the  turf  in  many  a  mouldering  heap, 
Each  in  his  narrow  cell  for  ever  laid, 
The  rude  forefathers  of  the  hamlet  sleep. 
Oft  did  the  harvest  to  their  sickle  yield. 
Their  furrow  oft  the  stubborn  glebe  hath  broke  ; 
How  jocund  did  they  drive  their  team  a-field  ! 
How  bowed  the  woods  beneath  their  sturdy  stroke  !  " 

Brave,  strong,  all-enduring  men  and  women  of  our 
small  beginnings!  3^ou  knew  that  you  w^ere  building 
well,  but  3'ou  "  built  better  than  3'ou  knew."     With 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  IO7 

pious  affection  we  take  leave  of  you,  and  bid  farewell 
to  the  Barre  of  the  century  which  is  gone,  while  with 
hearts  of  hope  we  cry.  All  hail!  to  the  morning  glory 
of  that  which  succeeds.  Welcome  the  new  faces 
which  appear,  the  new  men  in  the  management  of 
affairs,  the  new  names  whose  intelligence,  industry, 
and  virtue  are  to  impress  themselves  on  the  character 
of  the  town.  Thanks  to  the  towns  which  gave  to  us 
these  worthy  additions,  —  the  Harwoods  and  Sibleys, 
the  Hollands  and  Rowlands,  the  Broads  and  Hoard- 
ings, the  Robinsons  and  Adamses,  and  others  whose 
coming  was  for  help  and  strength  and  honor. 

To  that  part  of  Boylston  which  is  now  Shrewsbury 
we  are  indebted  for  the  Hollands,  who,  as  a  corre- 
spondent writes,  "have  made  a  mark  in  the  community 
as  straightforward,  honorable  men,  prompt  and  ener-> 
getic  in  discharge  of  all  public  duties,  and  truly  valu- 
able citizens."  Certainly  the  record  of  their  official 
service  is  most  creditable  to  them,  some  one  of  the 
family  having  filled  important  posts  in  the  town  for 
more  than  sixty  years.  Thanks  to  the  town  of  Sutton 
from  whom  we  received  the  first  Daniel  Harwood, 
who  came  in  the  opening  of  the  century  bringing  ten 
children,  of  a  tough  stock  and  remarkable  for  lon- 
gevity. The  father  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven 
years;  and  the  aggregate  age  of  the  ten  children  was 
seven  hundred  and  ninety-nine;  making  an  average 
of  a  fraction  less  than  eighty  years.*     The  sons  all 

*  A  still  more  remarkable  example  of  longevity  is  that  in  the  family 
of  Allen  previously  mentioned.    Jonathan  Allen  lived  on  the  same  place 


I08  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

settled  here,  possessing  themselves  of  some  of  the 
best  land  in  the  town,  and  becoming  foremost  among 
its  agriculturists.  Many  of  the  descendants  are  still 
excellent  citizens.  One  of  them,  Daniel  Harwood,« 
M.  D.,  of  Boston,  reflects  particular  honor  upon  his 
birthplace  by  the  eminence  he  has  attained  in  his 
profession,  having  stood  for  years  confessedly  at  the 
head  of  it  in  his  chosen  department.  When  a  chair 
of  instruction  in  it  was  established  at  Harvard  Univer- 
sity, he  was  selected  by  the  government  to  fill  the 
professorship,  but  felt  compelled  to  decline  the  honor 
and  service.  Thanks  to  the  same  affluent  town  — 
rich  in  men  —  for  the  Sibleys,  Samuel  and  Job,  who 
came  a  few  years  before  the  close  of  the  last  century 
and  settled  in  the  easterly  part  of  the  town.  The  for- 
mer brought  with  him  four  sons,  all  remarkable  for 
muscular  development  and  strength;  and  it  was  true 
here  in  that  day  as  when  David  composed  his  Psalms, 
that  "a  man  was  famous  according  as  he  had  lifted  up 
axes  upon  the  thick  trees."  One  of  the  sons,  Capt. 
Lyman  Sibley,  began  early  to  take  an  active  part  in 
town  affairs.  More  than  forty  years  he  was  the  accu- 
rate and  popular  town-clerk.  Those  of  the  generation 
now  passing  away  will  recall  the  interest  with  which, 
after  the  benediction,  at  the  close  of  the  afternoon  ser- 

vvith  the  same  wife  over  sixty  years ;  died  at  92,  his  wife  at  S7 ;  had  six 
children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  whose  average  age  at  death  was 
just  80  years.  Nehemiah  Allen,  his  brother,  had  ten  children,  four  sons 
and  six  daughters,  who  reached  at  death  these  ages  respectivelj' ;  viz.,  96, 
96.  95X>  92/^,  92,  84,  82,  80,  80,  78,  —  making  an  average  of  87!  We  chal- 
lenge any  town  in  New  England  to  exhibit  a  parallel  to  this  instance  of 
family  longevity. 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  IO9 

vice  on  Sunday,  his  clear  ringing  voice  proclaimed, 
above  the  clatter  of  the  pew-seats  as  they  came  down, 
"the  intention  of  marriage"  between  sundry  parties 
about  to  enter  the  bands  of  wedlock.  In  winter  for 
many  years  he  was  a  successful  teacher.  His  disci- 
pline was  of  the  rigorous  kind.  The  way  he  plied 
the  ferule  "  was  a  caution  "  to  all  offending  boys,  as 
this  uplifted  hand  tremblingly  attests.  In  later  life  he 
was  the  prompt  and  courteous  landlord  of  our  princi- 
pal inn.  Mr.  Sibley  was  the  father  of  a  numerous 
famil}'.  Two  of  his  sons  are  respected  citizens  of 
Boston;  one  a  merchant  and  an  esteemed  officer  of 
"  Hollis  Street  church;"  the  other  well  known  in  the 
Bunker  Hill  district,  a  citizen  of  merit,  distinguished 
for  his  military  services  in  our  late  civil  war,  and 
since  its  close  a  commander  of  the  Grand  Army  of 
the   Republic  for  Massachusetts. 

Into  the  same  section  of  the  town  where  the  Sibleys 
lived  had  come,  somewhat  earlier,  from  Holliston, 
David  Underwood.  Of  him  was  Joseph,  and  of  him 
General  Orison,  who  has  long  been  a  prominent  citi- 
zen of  Milford,  and,  till  lately,  the  head  of  a  large 
mercantile  house  in  Boston.  His  career  from  the 
smallest  beorinnino-s  has  been  his^hly  successful,  and  he 
has  received  many  marks  of  consideration  from  the 
political  party  to  which  he  belongs.  But  that  which 
he  probably  regards  as  his  chief  distinction  is  his 
being  the  father  of  another  General  Underwood,  the 
hero  of  no  sham-fight  of  a  holiday  muster,  but  the 
intrepid  leader  of  the  Massachusetts  Thirty-third  in 


no  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

the  storming  of  Lookout  Mountain,  whence  he  was 
borne  with  loss  of  a  leg  and  his  body  riddled  with 
bullets.  For  his  conduct  and  bravery  in  the  battle,  he 
was  promoted  brigadier  by  Hooker  on  the  spot;  and 
subsequently  by  Secretary  Stanton  in  person  was 
brevetted  major-general.  Amongst  her  numberless 
grandchildren  Barre  rejoices  to  see  him  here  to-day. 
Early  in  this  century  the  town  was  cast  into  sorrow 
and  gloom  by  the  death  of  its  minister.  In  those 
days,  when  there  was  but  one  minister  in  a  town,  and 
when  he  was  usually  the  one  person  best  informed  and 
most  consulted  on  all  subjects,  his  death  was  a  very 
impressive  event.  It  affected  all  hearts.  It  was  a 
great  public  bereavement.  It  suspended,  or  at  least 
interrupted,  the  functions  of  the  church  until  a  suc- 
cessor was  found  to  take  the  vacant  place.  The 
Rev.  Josiah  Dana  died  October  i,  1801,  after  a  min- 
istry of  thirty-four  years.  There  are  those  living  who 
still  remember  him.  They  describe  him  as  a  tall, 
erect  man,  of  dignified  mien  and  pleasing  address. 
He  wore  the  cocked  hat  and  breeches  of  the  time, 
and  carried  a  gold-headed  cane,  which,  with  his  im- 
posing presence,  excited  a  certain  awe  of  him  in  the 
young,  and  made  him  an  object  of  reverential  regard 
to  passing  strangers.  A  laboring  man,  it  is  related, 
seeking  employment,  with  great  diffidence  approached 
him.  When  asked,  "What  is  your  occupation?"  — 
embarrassed  by  the  lofty  figure  and  manner  of  his 
interrogator,  he  hesitated,  but  at  last  stammered  out, 
"  A   little   inclined   to   Baptist,   sir."     In   the   college 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  Ill 


catalogue  he  is  placed  next  but  one  in  family  rank  to 
his  classmate,  Timoth}^  Pickering,  and  of  his  scholar- 
ship some  opinion  may  be  formed,  perhaps,  by  the 
following  entry  in  the  Faculty  records:  "  1759,  Sept. 
24th.  Dana,  Freshman,  received  after  examination 
as  to  excelling  in  learning.  Watts'  Logick,  £2.  16." 
His  successor,  who  had  the  best  of  opportunities  for 
knowing  the  regard  in  which  he  was  held  here,  de- 
scribes him  as  "  a  man  of  strong  powers  of  mind,  of 
highl}^  respectable  acquirements,  of  great  social  quali- 
ties, and  of  very  popular  address  in  the  pulpit."  He 
also  testifies  of  him  that  "during  his  long  ministry,  he 
maintained  great  influence  in  this  place,  and  left  a 
deep  mark  on  the  character  of  his  people."  These 
impressions  were  undoubtedly  received  from  leading 
parishioners  two  years  after  his  decease.  I  am  led  to 
think  that,  whilst  he  was  quite  sociable,  and  had  a 
keen  relish  for  humor  and  wit,  he  was,  at  the  same 
time,  high-spirited,  out-spoken,  and  independent. 
This  is  inferred  from  two  incidents.  An  aged  lady, 
who  remembers  him,  recentl}'  related  to  me  this  an- 
ecdote:   A  certain  Mrs. was  a  fidgety  woman, 

and  whenever  she  was  a  little  ill  she  thought  that  she 
was  surely  going  to  die,  and  always  sent  for  the  min- 
ister. Many  times  he  had  responded  to  her  calls; 
when,  at  last,  he  was   summoned   in  the   night  by  a 

messenger  announcing  that  Mrs. was   dying  and 

must  see  him.  So  he  dressed  himself  and  rode  to  her 
house  two  or  three  miles  distant.  Entering  her  room, 
his  eye  instantl}'  perceived  that  there  was  no  danger, 


112  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

and  standing  by  her  bed  he  spoke  sharply,  "Mrs. , 

I  have  travelled,  first  and  last,  fifty  miles  to  see  you 
die,  and  you  will  outlive  me  yet!"  The  good  woman 
was  very  angry;  but  the  next  morning  she  Was  seen 
plying  her  broom  with  uncommon  dexterit}^  She 
never  forgave  him,  but,  as  to  living,  she  fulfilled  his 
prediction.  The  other  incident  is  of  a  difterent  nature. 
In  the  Book  of  Records  is  found  a  warrant  for  a  town 
meeting  dated  May  21,  1783,  one  article  of  which  runs 
thus:  "To  see  if  measures  can  be  mutually  consulted 
and  concerted  for  the  peaceable  and  regular  dismis- 
sion of  the  pastor  from  his  pastoral  office  in  this  place, 
masmuch  as  a  question  touching  his  support  lately  sub- 
initted  to  the  toiun  did  not  have  a  very  kind  and  coztr- 
teous  reception^  After  some  conversation  upon  this 
article,  it  was  moved,  "that  this  meeting  be  adjourned 
for  the  further  consideration  of  the  matter  in  ques- 
tion." The  explanation  is,  that  on  the  third  of  May 
the  town  "voted  to  allow  Mr.  Dana  £15.  and  not  to 
allow  any  more  salary  the  present  yearP  It  is  prob- 
able that  this  vote  was  characterized  in  terms  of  de- 
served severity  by  Mr.  Dana;  and  that  many  of  those 
who  gave  the  vote,  offended  or  ashamed,  thought  to 
avenge  themselves  by  dismissing  him.  But  better 
counsels  prevailed;  and  on  a  new  warrant,  the  9th  of 
June,  the  town  "voted  £'})2,'  6-  8-  in  addition."  And 
the  trouble  was  no  more  heard  of.  Twice  after  this 
little  breeze  his  salary  was  increased. 

Mr.  Dana  had  a  large  family,  and  two  of  his  daugh- 
ters for  a  number  of  years  taught  the  grammar  school 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  II3 

of  the  town.  On  the  occasion  of  his  funeral,  his  friend 
and  college-classmate,  and  for  thirty  years  neighbor 
in  the  ministry,  the  Rev.  Ephraim  Ward,  of  Brook- 
field,  preached  the  sermon.  In  the  course  of  it  he 
says  of  Mr.  Dana:  "He  was  possessed  of  natural 
firmness  of  mind;  of  a  sprightl}^  imagination;  and  of 
an  easy  and  happy  elocution.  His  manner  of  utter- 
ance was  solemn  and  manly,  which  added  dignity  to 
his  addresses,  especially  on  religious  and  important 
subjects.  His  preaching  was  serious,  instructive,  and 
practical.  He  adopted  the  Calvinistic  scheme,  but 
was  not  a  bigot.  He  was  tenacious  of  the  important 
doctrines  of  the  gospel,  but  charitable  towards  those 
who  differed  with  him  in  smaller  matters.  His  natu- 
ral temper  led  him  to  be  facetious  with  his  friends, 
yet  his  conversation  was  savory  and  instructive.  He 
was  easy  of  access  to  all,  benevolent  and  charitable. 
As  a  husband,  he  was  kind,  attentive,  and  prudent;  as 
a  parent,  tender,  careful,  and  affectionate;  as  a  friend, 
hospitable  and  beneficent.  Some  of  his  last  years  were 
attended  with  much  bodily  weakness  and  infirmity, 
which  enfeebled  in  a  degree  his  natural  fortitude  of 
mind.  Towards  the  close  of  life,  the  All-wise  suffered 
a  veil  to  be  drawn  over  his  mind,  which  obstructed 
the  exercise  of  his  reason  two  or  three  weeks  before 
his  final  adieu." 

So  passed  away  the  second  minister  of  Barre,  leav- 
ing behind  him  that  good  name  which  is  better  than 
riches,  with  all  the  imperishable  influences  of  a  life 
consecrated  to  Truth  and  Righteousness,  to  "  Christ 

15 


114  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

and  the  Church."  His  remains  are  interred  in  the 
south  burial-ground,  near  the  house  in  which  he  Hved. 
His  monument,  a  marble  slab,  bears  this  inscrip- 
tion: — 

"  In  Memory 

OF  THE 

Rev.  Josiah  Dana 

WHO   WAS 

Ordained  to  the  Pastoral  Care 

OF  the 

Church  in  Barre 

Oct.  7th,  1767, 

And  departed  this  life 

Oct.  1801, 

In  the  60TH  year  of  his  Age. 


Erected  by  the  Sons  of  the  Deceased." 

The  vacancy  made  by  Mr.  Dana's  decease  was 
filled  two  years  later  by  a  candidate,  who  began  to 
preach  on  the  first  Sunday  of  October,  1803.  At  a 
town  meeting,  holden  November  28th,  it  was  "  voted 
unanimously,  to  unite  with  the  church  to  invite  Mr. 
James  Thompson  to  the  pastoral  charge  of  this  church 
and  people."  "Voted,  to  choose  a  committee  of  seven 
to  wait  on  Mr.  Thompson  and  inform  him  of  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  town,  and  to  see  if  there  is  a  prospect 
of  his  settling  with  us  in  the  ministry,  and  report  at 
the  time  to  which  this  meeting  may  be  adjourned." 
The  committee  consisted  of  Samuel  Bigelow,  Moses 
Holden,  Noah  Ripley,  Joel  Bent,  Eleazar  James, 
Ebenezer  Rice,  David  Fisk,  and  Nathaniel  Jones, — 
all  men  of  high  character  and  much  influence.  At 
the   adjourned  meeting  it  was  voted,  "  To  give  Mr. 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  II5 

Thompson  four  hundred  dollars  settlement  and  five 
hundred  dollars  as  annual  salary  so  long  as  he  con- 
tinues to  be  our  minister."  Instead  of  sending  a  let- 
ter, as  was,  and  still  is,  customary,  "Mr.  Thompson 
came  into  the  meeting  attended  by  the  committee, 
and  announced  his  satisfaction  with  the  terms  pro- 
posed, and  his  acceptance  of  the  call."  A  committee 
of  five  was  appointed  to  make  arrangements  for  the 
ordination,  which  took  place  January  nth,  1804. 
The  occasion  was  regarded  with  great  interest,  and 
the  people  thronged  from  neighboring  towns  to  wit- 
ness its  proceedings.  All  things  were  done  "  de- 
cently and  in  order,"  and  to  the  great  gratification  of 
the  people.  This  was  an  orthodox  ordination.  But 
orthodoxy  in  those  days  was  not  afraid  of  a  little 
merriment  as  an  after-part  of  the  impressive  cere- 
monial; and  so  the  event  was  celebrated  by  a  ball 
in  the  evening,  in  which  the  beautiful  bride  of  the 
minister  led  the  dance,  greatly  to  the  admiration  of 
the  company. 

The  church  is  happy  and  jubilant  over  its  fresh 
start.  It  becomes,  it  may  be  feared,  a  little  proud; 
for  its  meeting-house,  though  only  fourteen  years 
built,  does  not  satisfy  its  ambition.  Therefore,  some 
time  in  the  year  1806  it  was  voted,  "to  build  a  hand- 
some and  beautiful  steeple,  cupola  or  belfry,  provided 
there  be  raised  by  subscription  sufficient  to  purchase 
a  bell  and  clock;"  and  a  committee  was  chosen  to 
carry  the  vote  into  effect.  The  work  was  entered 
upon  without  delay;  and  when  completed  the  church, 


Il6  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

with  its  large  shapely  pillars  and  finely  proportioned 
steeple,  was  regarded  as  the  handsomest  in  the 
count}^;  and  when  the  clear,  rich-toned  bell  had  been 
hung,  its  far-reaching  peals  reverberated  amongst 
these  hills  hour  after  hour  to  the  great  satisfaction 
of  the  inhabitants. 

In  proceeding  with  the  narrative  from  this  date, 
after  which  events  become  increasingly  familiar  to  an 
increasing  number  who  have  had  part  in  them,  it  will 
not  be  necessary  to  observe  a  very  strict  chronological 
order,  nor  to  enter  into  such  minuteness  of  detail  as 
seemed  to  be  expedient  in  an  endeavor  to  rescue 
from  oblivion  names  and  incidents  belonging  to  the 
forming  period  of  the  town  which  were  hid  away 
from  general  knowledge  in  the  obscurity  of  ancient 
records  and  scattered  documents.  Besides,  not  be- 
lieving that  the  world  is  very  soon  coming  to  an  end  — 
having,  indeed,  a  comfortable  persuasion  that  Barre 
will  live  on  to  a  second  Centennial  —  I  think  it  right 
to  leave  to  my  successor  a  chance  to  indulge  his  curi- 
osity and  to  use  a  little  of  his  valuable  time  in  finding 
out  what  remarkable  people  we  were,  and  what  great 
things  we  did.  "  Let  another  man  praise  thee,  and 
not  thine  own  mouth;  a  stranger,  and  not  thine  own 
lips."  If  the  orator  on  that  occasion  should  chance 
to  be  a  woman!  —  which  many  signs  foretoken,  —  let 
her  be  duly  thankful  to  her  masculine  predecessor  of 
to-da}^,  that,  in  fulfilling  his  task,  he  consulted  the 
words  of  Holy  Writ,  where  it  is  recorded  for  our 
instruction,  "  Boaz  commanded  his  young  men,  sa}^- 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  II7 

ing,  Let  her  glean  even  among  the  sheaves,  and 
reproach  her  not ;  and  let  fall  also  of  the  handfuls  on 
purpose  for  her,  and  leave  them,  that  she  may  glean 
them,  and  rebuke  her  not." 

During  the  first  thirty  years  of  this  century  the 
local  ambition  which  had  existed  from  the  start 
became  a  marked  feature.  The  leadinof  men  were 
public-spirited.  They  could  tolerate  no  narrow 
policy  in  matters  pertaining  to  the  interests  of  the 
town.  They  were  not  men  to  be  satisfied  with  any 
thing  short  of  the  best  attainable,  whether  in  their 
crops,  their  horses,  their  breeds  of  cattle,  their  barns, 
their  schools,  or  their  preaching.  Every  thing  pro- 
jected by  them  was  on  a  larger  scale  than  in  the 
towns  adjacent.  First  amongst  these  leaders  and  in- 
spirers,  it  will  be  gladly  conceded  on  all  hands,  stood 
the  Hon.  Nathaniel  Jones;  a  farmer  and  a  courtly 
gentleman;  quick  to  devise  and  energetic  to  sustain 
enterprises  which  might  conduce  to  the  convenience, 
honor,  and  welfare  of  the  town;  postponing  private 
advantage  to  public  service;  entertaining  friends  and 
strangers  with  large  hospitality;  and  giving  to  the 
church  the  benefit  of  his  weight}^  influence.  With  a 
cultivated  taste  for  music,  he  led  the  choir  forty  years, 
and  at  every  town  meeting,  with  few  exceptions, 
secured  appropriations  to  keep  up,  by  singing-schools, 
the  style  of  that  part  of  the  worship.  His  devotion 
spared  neither  time  nor  property.  Five  years  he  was 
an  assessor  of  taxes;  sixteen  years  a  selectman,  most 
of  them  Chairman  of  the  Board;  eight  years  a  repre- 


Il8  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

sentative;  four  years  a  senator;  and  in  1820  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Convention  for  revising  the  Constitution  of 
the  State.  But  the  mention  of  these  offices  affords 
only  a  hint  of  the  extent  and  value  of  his  public  ser- 
vices. Sad  that  no  child  or  descendant  or  near  rela- 
tion survives  him  in  the  town!  His  three  sons  are 
dead.  His  daughters,  of  rare  personal  attractions  in 
their  youth,  were  educated  and  married  in  Montreal, 
one  of  his  grandsons,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Charles  Bancroft, 
being  now  a  canon  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in  that 
city. 

The  associates  of  Major  Jones  in  these  local  offices, 
in  the  earlier  years,  were  such  excellent  citizens  as 
James  Holland,  Jason  Hawes,  Samuel  Lee,  John 
Allen,  Joseph  Farrar,  Simeon  Metcalf,  John  Gorham, 
Jotham  Rice,  Moses  Holden;  in  the  later,  Silas  Bemis^ 
Artemas  Hapgood,  Rufus  Holden,  Francis  Rice,  the 
Harwoods,  Harding  P.  Woods,  Seth  Caldwell,  Nathl. 
Holland,  Luke  Adams,  Luke  Houghton,  Nathl.  Lor- 
ing,  David  Rice,  and  many  others,  —  all  able  and 
faithful  coadjutors. 

With  such  men  for  administrators  of  its  affiiirs,  and 
stimulated  by  a  virtuous  ambition,  it  is  not  strange 
that  the  town  flourished. 

Until  about  the  close  of  the  first  quarter  of  this 
century  the  business  here  was  almost  exclusively 
agricultural.  There  were,  indeed,  a  few  tanneries; 
one  or  two  fulling  mills  for  finishing  homespuns;  and 
grist  and  saw  mills  sufficient  for  the  uses  of  the  town. 
There  were  also  mechanics'  shops  for  such  work  as 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  II9 

was  indispensable  in  farming;  stores,  three  or  four, 
which  drove  a  flourishing  trade;  and  generally  two 
good  taverns  for  the  accommodation  of  travellers  — 
and  other  purposes!  In  1805,  it  is  also  true,  and  to 
be  noted,  that  Capt.  Seth  Pratt,  who  had  moved  here 
from  Shrewsbury,  built  a  dam  on  Ware  River  and  dug 
a  canal  through  a  hill  ;  and  that  on  a  water-power 
thus  made  several  mills  were  erected,  one  of  which, 
built  and  owned  by  Mr.  Phlneas  Heywood,  was  a 
factory  for  making  woollen  frocking  of  a  superior 
quality;  and  near  this  establishment  there  grew  up 
a  pleasant  village  of  considerable  trade,  known  as 
Barre  Plains.  But  with  these,  and  perhaps  a  few 
other  minor  exceptions,  the  all-engrossing  pursuit  was 
agriculture.  The  annual  products  of  the  soil  for  mar- 
ket were  enormous.  I  have  asked  one  of  the  gen- 
tlemen who  had  the  vending  of  these  productions  a 
number  of  years  in  the  regular  course  of  his  mer- 
cantile pursuits  to  furnish  to  me  an  estimate  of  the 
weight  and  value  of  the  two  principal  staples,  pork 
and  cheese,  for  any  period  of  five  successive  years. 
His  answer  for  the  years  1846  to  1850  is  as  follows: 

Cheese,  2,754,664    pounds,  bringing  in 

market,  all  transported  in  wagons    .     $220,373.12 
Pork,  539,998  pounds,  bringing    .     .     .  377799-86 

Making  a  total  of  ...     .     $258,172.98 

This  exhibits  only  a  small  portion  of  the  agricul- 
tural products. 

Not  far  from  this  date,  1825,  a  new  enterprise  was 


I20  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

projected  by  Mr.  Benjamin  Clark,  a  successful  mer- 
chant here.  It  was  the  erection  of  a  Cotton  Factory, 
clown  in  the  woods  near  Coldbrook,  on  Ware  River. 
Many  shook  their  heads  and  pronounced  the  project 
chimerical.  But  he  was  confident,  and  entered  into 
it  with  all  his  energy,  embarking  his  entire  fortune. 
The  project  succeeded,  but  he  was  ruined  in  estate. 
The  factory  which  he  built  with  its  privileges  passed 
into  other  hands,  whilst,  after  a  term  of  imprisonment 
for  debt  in  Worcester  jail,  he  went  forth  penniless,  to 
win  success  in  other  fields.  It  is  gratifying  to  those 
who  knew  him  and  held  him  in  esteem,  that  in  a 
ripe  old  age  he  is  still  living  in  peace  and  content, 
with  more  than  ample  resources  for  all  his  needs. 
In  the  hands  of  his  successors,  Smith,  father  and  sons, 
the  business  has  gone  on  prosperously;  and  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  factory  has  grown  up  one  of 
the  prettiest  villages,  embowered  by  lofty  trees,  to 
be  seen  anywhere  in  New  England. 

How  shall  I  speak  of  Dennyville  in  the  dignified 
presence  of  him  whose  name  it  bears  and  of  whose 
works  it  tells.?  Let  me  relate  a  little  of  its  story  and 
leave  the  rest  to  the  researches  of  m}^  successor!  In 
the  year  1833,  several  gentlemen,  who  had  had  expe- 
rience in  woollen  manufacture,  purchased  of  Mr. 
John  Wadsworth  a  tract  of  land  and  a  water-power 
on  Ware  River,  and  secured  an  act  of  incorporation 
as  "  The  Wadsworth  Woollen  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany." The  company  proceeded  to  erect  a  factory  and 
other  buildings  necessary.     This  enterprise,  however, 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  121 

like  the  other,  did  not  prove  a  success  in  first  hands. 
At  a  critical  juncture,  our  sagacious  townsman,  the 
Hon.  Edward  Denny,  saw  his  opportunity  and  pur- 
chased the  property.  Adapting  the  machinery  to  the 
manufacture  of  flannels,  instead  of  fine  broadcloth, 
he  easily  and  rapidly  turned  the  property  to  good 
account;  and,  as  a  result,  Barre  is  glad  to  show  to  her 
visitors,  down  there  in  the  happy  valley  amidst  the 
pines,  Mr.  Denny's  fine  house  and  grounds,  and 
numerous  buildings  of  various  st3'les  of  architecture, 
the  plates  of  which  I  have  not  discovered  in  any 
work,  and  which  it  is  not  necessary  here  to  describe! 
I  forbear  to  speak  of  "  Wadsworth's  Scythe  Factory," 
which  flourished  for  a  considerable  time,  but  exists 
no  longer.  And  why  should  you  be  wearied  with 
the  various  fortune  of  the  "  Bemis  Powder-mill;"  the 
tons  of  "  villanous  saltpetre"  it  consumed;  the  num- 
ber of  times  it  was  blown  up  and  rebuilt;  its  profits 
in  money,  its  losses  in  men;  or  how,  at  last,  it  "  went 
up,"  never  to  come  down  again.  Leaving  these,  I 
invite  you  to  investigate  our  palm-leaf  operations. 
•  Do  not  expect  me  to  aid  you.  The  work  is  intricate 
and  manifold  altogether  beyond  my  powers  of  eluci- 
dation. But  I  wjll  give  you  a  few  figures.  In  the 
year  1865,  there  were  manufactured  here  palm-leaf 
hats  of  the  value  of  $47,941,  and  Shaker  hoods  of  the 
value  of  $158,583.  In  the  twenty  years  ending  with 
1873,  one  concern,  Mr.  Desper's,  finished  1,929,040 
dozen  hats!     This  will  do  as  a  specimen. 

But   a   truce   to   business.     This   is   a  holiday,  and 

16    . 


122  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

other  themes  invite.  Thought  and  fancy  turn  rather 
on  persons  than  on  things,  —  persons  whose  Hves 
illustrate  our  history.  Amongst  these  is  one  who 
rose  to  a  distinction  in  his  calling  above  all  other  sons 
of  Barre,  the  first  recorded  mention  of  whom  is  in 
these  words:  "Voted  Horatio  Gates  one  hundred 
and  ten  dollars  for  teaching  school."  This  was  in 
1802.  Horatio  was  one  of  the  sons  of  Capt.  Benja- 
min Gates,  who  was  a  rough  man,  of  strong  mind 
and  considerable  influence.  The  son  was  capable 
and  energetic.  In  the  prime  of  manhood  he  found  his 
way  to  Montreal;  and  in  a  few  years  it  came  to  be 
known  here  that  he  was  prosecuting  a  lucrative  busi- 
ness. He  went  on  prospering  and  winning  respect 
and  confidence  in  the  community  till  his  commercial 
house  became  the  wealthiest  and  the  largest  in  its 
correspondence  in  Lower  Canada.  It  was  not  till 
he  had  attained  this  eminence  that  he  returned  for  a 
visit  to  his  native  town.  His  coming  created  an 
immense  sensation,  and  his  noble  presence  and  unos- 
tentatious bearing  made  a  most  favorable  impression 
upon  those  who  saw  him.  He  was  entertained  by  a 
banquet  and  ball,  which  he  greatly  enjoyed.  Our 
Major  Jones  married  his  sister,  and  this  is  the  expla- 
nation of  the  fact  that  the  daughters  of  the  former,  as 
I  have  mentioned,  were  educated  and  married  in 
Montreal.  And  this,  again,  leads  me  to  observe  that 
the  influence  of  this  connection,  through  the  occa- 
sional visits  of  these  refined  and  accomplished  ladies, 
was  not  inconsiderable  in  formini:  the  manners  and 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  I  23 

kindling  the  aspirations  of  our  young  people.  Mr. 
Gates's  life  was  not  lonsr.  But  "  honorable  ajre  is  not 
that  which  standeth  in  length  of  time,  nor  that  is 
measured  by  number  of  years;  but  wisdom  is  the 
gray  hair  unto  men,  and  an  unspotted  life  is  old  age." 
The  newspapers  of  his  adopted  city  announced  his 
decease  as  follows:  "Died  at  Montreal,  on  the  nth  of 
April,  1834,  after  a  short  but  severe  illness,  the  Hon- 
orable Horatio  Gates,  Member  of  the  Legislative 
Council  of  the  Province  of  Lower  Canada,  in  the  57th 
year  of  his  age."  In  their  obituary  notices  the}^  vie 
with  each  other  in  the  warmth  of  their  eulosfies. 
One  of  them  says:  "Distinguished  as  his  name  was, 
wherever  the  trade  of  British  North  America  had 
spread,  for  honorable  dealing,  for  candor  and  a  high 
sense  of  moral  rectitude,  for  vigilance,  activity,  dis- 
crimination, and  decision,  he  was  no  less  eminent  for 
the  valuable  nature  of  his  correspondence.  .  .  .  Per- 
haps no  individual  has  been  called  away  from  us  since 
Canada  became  a  British  Colony  whose  demise  in- 
volves such  important  consequences.  .  .  .  He  pos- 
sessed all  the  nobler  traits  of  American  character  in 
an  eminent  degree.  Liberality  of  sentiment,  munifi- 
cence, hospitality,  urbanity,  and  benevolence  were 
prominent  in  his  personal  character.  Our  charitable 
institutions  shared  largely  in  his  liberal  support.  His 
house  was  ever  open  to  such  of  his  respectable  coun- 
trymen as  visited  this  city.  His  example  was  looked 
up  to  with  no  ordinary  degree  of  deference  by  his 
fellow-citizens;  and  all  works  of  beneficence  in  which 


124  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

he  lent  a  helping  hand  secured  the  sanction  of  general 
support."  Another  observes:  "We  write  under  the 
feelings  which  must  agitate  every  man  in  this  com- 
mercial community  upon  losing  the  brightest  orna- 
ment —  the  most  widely  known,  the  most  highly 
appreciated  —  of  the  commercial  bod}^  There  may 
arise  men  of  wealth  or  men  of  integrity,  men  of  enter- 
prise or  men  of  talent,  but  we  fear  never  again  to 
behold  in  Montreal  a  merchant  of  such  untiring  per- 
severance, or  possessing  the  renown  —  the  generally 
diffused,  the  exalted,  the  unimpeachable  renown  — 
that  was  enjoyed  by  Horatio  Gates."  Still  another 
writes:  "At  the  hour  appointed  for  consigning  to  the 
tomb  the  mortal  remains  of  our  deservedly  esteemed 
and  venerated  fellow-citizen,  the  Hon.  Horatio  Gates, 
every  avenue  to  his  residence  was  closed  by  a  multi- 
tude of  persons,  who,  without  distinction  of  creed  or 
politics,  hastened  to  testify  their  respect  for  the  mem- 
ory of  him  whose  virtues  will  long  be  remembered  by 
those  who  witnessed  that  beautiful  but  rare  combina- 
tion of  private  worth  with  public  enterprise  which  dis- 
tinguished his  character.  The  native  of  a  country 
that  may  proudly  boast  of  such  a  scion,  his  identity 
with  British  feeling  never  for  a  moment  affected  his 
partialities  for  the  land  of  his  origin.  An  American 
by  birth,  he  was  equally  the  friend  of  his  own  and  the 
country  of  his  adoption." 

It  is  not  as  ministering  to  our  local  pride  that  I 
refer  at  so  much  length  to  this  distinguished  son  of 
Barre,  but  that  he  may  be  contemplated  as  a  stimu- 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  I25 

lating  example  by  our  young  men  of  the  present  and 
the  comino^  time. 

Quite  a  different  man  was  his  brother,  Samuel 
Gates,  whom,  as  connected  with  one  of  the  best 
institutions  of  the  town,  it  is  proper  to  call  to  your 
remembrance.  As  I  recollect  him  he  was  a  quiet, 
silent,  somewhat  austere  man,  and  a  small  farmer. 
But  though  his  property  was  not  large,  by  his  will  he 
left  five  hundred  dollars  for  a  Free  Public  Library, 
on  condition  that  a  like  sum  should  be  appropriated 
b}'^  the  town  for  that  purpose.  The  condition  was 
complied  with,  and  for  several  years  additional  appro- 
priations were  made.  From  time  to  time  donations 
of  valuable  books  have  been  received.  A  donation 
of  twelve  hundred  dollars  in  money  was  made  seven 
or  eight  years  ago.  The  institution  is  still  fostered 
w^ith  care,  and  its  good  influence  cannot  well  be  over- 
estimated. Let  me  use  the  privilege  of  a  son  and 
beg  that  it  may  continue  to  be  cherished  by  the  peo- 
ple of  the  town  as  a  treasury  of  useful  knowledge,  a 
fountain  of  intellectual  improvement  and  pleasure, 
and  one  of  the  best  possessions  they  can  secure  in  per- 
petuity to  their  children.  Honor  to  the  thoughtful 
beneficence  of  Samuel  Gates! 

Other  distinguished  names  will  be  brought  to  your 
notice  farther  on.  Meantime  we  return  once  more  to 
the  affairs  of  the  church.  Until  the  year  1827,  the 
whole  people  of  the  town  had  been  united  in  one 
religious  society  of  the  Congregational  order,  with 
the  exception  of  a  small  body  of  Baptists  living  on 
the  easterly  border,  and  a  small  organization  of  Uni- 


126  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

versallsts  at  the  Plains.  This  was  a  state  of  things 
which  no  one  could  have  reasonably  expected  long 
to  continue.  Theological  opinion  was  every  year 
becoming  more  definite  and  pronounced.  Theologi- 
cal controversies  had  come,  here  as  elsewhere  in 
New  England,  to  be  earnest  and  often  acrimonious. 
On  one  side.  Unitarian  Christianity  was  feared;  on 
the  other,  Calvinism  was  hated.  The  old  church, 
with  its  minister,  had  ranged  itself  on  the  liberal  side. 
A  small  minority  were  of  the  opposite  party.  As  was 
natural,  they  were  not  happy  in  their  church  relations; 
and,  withdrawing,  were  organized  by  an  Ecclesiastical 
Council,  convened  for  the  purpose  August  15,  1827,  as 
"  The  Evangelical  Congregational  Church  in  Barre." 

This  was  according  to  the  spirit  of  the  time,  and, 
in  itself,  was  right.  But  the  separation  produced 
much  ill-feeling.  Criminations  and  recriminations 
were  freely  interchanged;  and  even  neighborl}-  inter- 
course, in  man}^  instances,  was  suspended.  Doubtless 
there  was  blame  on  both  sides.  But  wherever  it  lay, 
it  was  soon  forgiven;  and  between  the  successive 
pastors  of  the  "Evangelical  Church"  and  the  minister 
of  the  old  church  there  was  never  a  moment's  jar, 
but  always  the  friendliest  interest,  and  —  where  it 
was  possible  —  cooperation.  The  new  society,  from 
small  beginnings,  went  on  prosperously,  and  I  am 
glad  to  learn  is  flourishing  still,  and  doing  its  part  in 
sustaining  the  moral  and  religious  character  of  the 
town.  Of  its  ministers  this  is  not  the  occasion  for 
speaking.     Their  work  is  too  recent  for  history.     The 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  1 27 

record  of  some  of  them  is  in  the  hearts  of  their  people 
and  in  the  Book  of  Life.  Most  of  them  had  short 
ministries;  for,  in  the  forty-seven  years  of  the  soci- 
ety's existence,  it  has  had  no  less  than  ten  settled 
pastors. 

Not  man}^  years  later  the  Universalists  erected  a 
church  in  the  centre  of  the  town  and  settled  a  minis- 
ter. The  society  never  prospered,  but,  after  a  few 
years,  sold  its  church  to  the  Methodists  and  dissolved. 
The  Methodist  society  has  since  enjoyed  a  fair  measure 
of  prosperity.  A  Roman  Catholic  church  has  also 
been  organized  here  within  a  few  years.  But  of  none 
of  these,  nor  of  their  ministers,  is  it  my  purpose  to 
speak.  It  is  only  the  church  which  was  here  before 
the  birth  of  the  town,  and  which  was  an  elementary 
part  of  its  forming  life,  that  properly  claims  a  place 
in  this  commemorative  discourse.  Of  the  ministers 
of  this  church,  the  three  who  served  it  during  the 
first  one  hundred  years  of  its  existence  are  the  only 
ones  whose  character  and  ministries  it  is  my  duty  to 
notice.  Two  of  the  three  have  already  been  brought 
before  you  in  brief  sketches.  Of  the  third,  my  revered 
father,  whose  ministry  was  much  the  longest,  let  me 
speak  in  the  words  of  others  rather  than  my  own. 
Many  of  you  know  the  hearty  testimony  which  was 
borne  to  his  worth  and  influence  on  the  fiftieth  anni- 
versary of  his  ordination,  January  ii,  1854.  Many 
of  you  also  know  that  w^ith  failing  strength  but  un- 
failing resignation  and  more  than  usual  peace  of 
mind,  he  continued   from  that  day  until   the   14th  of 


128  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

May  ensuing,  when,  on  a  bright  Sunday  morning, 
just  as  the  bells  had  ceased  sounding  your  summons 
to  church,  —  a  summons  which  he  heard,  faintly 
whispering,  "  The  bells,"  his  last  words,  —  he  closed 
his  e3/es  and  ascended.  Man}^  of  you  remember,  too, 
the  tender  and  filial  tribute  paid  to  his  memory  by  his 
former  colleague,  the  Rev.  Henry  F.  Bond,  whom  he 
greatly  loved. 

The  first  published  notice  of  this  minister  which 
I  remember  to  have  seen  records  a  calamity  which, 
to  some  extent,  clouded  his  whole  after-life.  It 
occurs  in  an  oration  pronounced  at  Templeton,  on 
the  5th  of  July,  1813,  "  before  the  '  Washington  Benev- 
olent Societies  of  the  county  of  Worcester  and  other 
citizens,'  by  Lewis  Bigelow,"  a  lawyer  of  distinction. 
The  oration  begins  with  a  laudatory  reference,  a  part 
of  which  I  transcribe,  as  showing,  with  all  due  allow- 
ance for  oratorical  extravagance,  the  kind  of  estimation 
in  which  my  father  was  then  held.  "  The  misfortune," 
says  Mr.  Bigelow,  "  which  has  been  the  occasion 
of  my  undertaking  an  important  part  in  the  cere- 
monies of  this  day  can  be  no  less  a  source  of  regret 
and  embarrassment  to  me  than  of  sorrow  and  disap- 
pointment to  this  assembly.  While  we  deplore  the 
afflictive  and  calamitous  stroke  which  has  in  a  measure 
paralyzed  the  powers  of  our  brother,  who  had  been 
selected,  for  his  conspicuous  talents  as  an  orator,  to 
perform  the  service  so  recently  transferred  to  me,  we 
shall  forcibly  feel,  at  this  gloomy  crisis  in  our  national 
affairs,  the  want  of  his  powers  to  excite  those  proud 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  1 29 

emotions  which  once  glowed  in  our  breasts  on  the 
return  of  this  anniversary."  At  the  foot  of  the  page 
is  this  note:  "The  Rev.  James  Thompson,  of  Barre, 
was  chosen  to  deliver  the  oration,  but  in  consequence 
of  a  severe  paralytic  affection  was  rendered  incapable 
of  performing  tho  service."  This  is  the  first  notice. 
The  last  is  that  contributed  to  "  The  Christian  Exam- 
iner," shortly  after  his  death,  by  his  former  neighbor 
in  the  ministry,  the  late  Rev.  George  R.  Noyes,  D.D., 
Theological  Professor  in  Harvard  University.  After 
some  account  of  Dr.  Thompson's  early  life,  —  as,  that 
he  was  born  of  Puritan  parents  in  Halifax,  in  the 
county  of  Plymouth,  on  the  13th  of  April,  1780;  that 
he  was  graduated  with  high  honors  at  Brown  Univer- 
sity in  1799;  read  divinity  with  the  Rev.  Jonathan 
French,  of  Andover*  and  was  ordained  as  minister  of 
this  town  by  a  council  selected  without  reference  to 
doctrinal  opinions  in  1804,  —  he  proceeds  to  say:  — 

"  Dr.  Thompson,  soon  after  his  settlement,  acquired  a  high 
reputation  as  a  preacher  and  orator  in  the  part  of  the  Common- 
wealth in  which  he  was  situated.  By  nature  and  culture  he 
possessed  a  combination  of  extraordinary  qualifications  for  the 
ministry.  A  noble  form,  a  commanding  presence,  a  full,  rich, 
and  musical  voice,  a  quick  and  clear  apprehension  of  truth,  a 
strong,  good  sense,  deep  sensibility,  a  fervid,  earnest  manner,  and 
unmistakable  sincerity,  were  his.  By  a  quick  and  clear  intuition 
he  seized  upon  the  prominent  and  important  points  of  a  subject, 
which,  in  simple,  direct,  and  strong  language,  he  impressed  on 
the  minds  of  his  hearers.  His  discourses  were  full  of  weighty 
matter,  solid  and  substantial,  but  not  scholastic,  critical,  nor  often 
argumentative.  He  very  seldom  discussed  abstract  subjects,  but 
addressed  as  a  friend  the  men,  women,  and  children  of  his  con- 
gregation  on   what   most   intimately   concerned  them,  applying 

17 


130  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

acknowledged  and  essential  Christian  principles  to  the  various 
duties,  changes,  and  trials  of  life.  He  had  a  certain  sympathy 
with  his  audience,  which  taught  him  how  long  he  might  dwell 
upon  a  topic  without  being  dull  and  uninteresting,  and  led  him 
to  a  directness  of  appeal,  which  caused  his  hearers  to  say,  '  We 
love  to  hear  Dr.  Thompson,  because  everything  he  says  seems  to 
come  from  the  heart.' 

"  Dr.  Thompson  was  a  great  reader,  and  in  respect  to  all  kinds 
of  information  ever  kept  up  with  the  times.  But  he  was  not 
given  to  laborious  study  or  extensive  research.  Had  his  inclina- 
tion, and  the  demands  made  upon  his  time  by  the  active  duties 
of  a  very  large  parish,  allowed  him  to  be  a  deeper  and  more 
methodical  student,  and  to  devote  more  labor  to  the  composition 
of  a  single  discourse,  he  might  have  produced  greater  sermons, 
perhaps  more  durable  in  their  influence.  But  it  may  be  doubted 
whether,  taking  all  his  duties  into  view,  he  would  have  been  a 
more  useful  man.  As  it  was,  he  was  for  many  years  accounted, 
by  the  most  cultivated  as  well  as  by  ordinary  minds,  the  best 
preacher  in  the  county  of  Worcester.  In  logic  and  learning,  he 
could  not  be  compared  to ,  Bancroft,  of  Worcester.  Thayer,  of 
Lancaster,  may  have  occasionally  penetrated  to  a  greater  depth. 
But  in  his  power  of  arresting  the  attention  of  an  audience  by  his 
clear  and  strong  manner  of  presenting  a  subject,  in  the  elegance 
of  his  diction,  in  the  aptness  and  beauty  of  his  illustrations,  and 
the  gracefulness  and  impressiveness  of  his  delivery,  he  probably 
had  no  superior  in  his  vicinity,  and  few  in  the  Commonwealth. 
As  he  advanced  in  life,  he  lost,  in  consequence  of  a  stroke  of 
paralysis,  that  confidence  in  his  own  powers  which  he  had  before 
enjoyed,  and  became  more  retiring,  irresolute,  and  reluctant  to 
undertake  offices  for  which  his  apparently  unimpaired  abilities 
fitted  him.  His  preaching,  however,  seems  to  have  lost  none  of 
its  unction  or  effectiveness.  After  forty  years'  service  he  was  still 
preferred  by  the  congregations  to  which  he  preached  to  almost 
any  of  the  younger  men.  The  published  sermon  preached  at  the 
end  of  a  ministry  of  fifty  years,  in  the  75th  year  of  his  age,  affords, 
by  its  simplicity,  beauty,  and  strength,  a  satisfactory  indication 
of  what  he  could  do  in  his  best  days.  In  the  year  1S41,  the  gov- 
ernment of  Harvard  University  conferred  on  him  the  well-merited, 


HISTORICAL   DISCOURSE.  I3I 

and   by  him   highly-prized,  honor  of  the   degree   of  Doctor   in 
Divinity. 

"  The  devotional  exercises  of  Dr.  Thotnpson  were  remarkable 
for  copiousness,  appropriateness,  and  fervency.  They  were  truly 
the  eloquent  utterances  of  a  believing  soul,  full  of  tenderness,  full 
of  reverence,  full  of  tranquil  faith  and  hope.  Hence  his  services 
as  chaplain  on  public  occasions  were  much  sought  after.  And 
it  is  said  that  it  was  not  uncommon  for  farmers  to  leave  their 
work  and  ride  five  miles  on  purpose  to  hear  him  pray  at  a  funeral. 

"  Dr.  Thompson  was  careful  to  exert  his  influence,  not  only  in 
the  pulpit,  but  in  every  possible  way.  When  Lyceums  began  to 
be  established  in  the  country,  some  five  and  twenty  years  ago,  he 
engaged  in  the  iarge  one  of  Barre  with  great  ardor,  delivered 
lectures,  took  an  active  part  in  the  discussions,  and  exerted  an 
influence  over  the  large  assembly,  '  like  a  king  in  the  midst  of  an 
army.' 

"  He  ever  manifested  a  deep  interest  in  the  young,  and  a  ready 
sympathy  with  their  minds,  which  made  him  a  favorite  companion 
to  them.  He  held  the  office  of  Chairman  of  the  School  Com- 
mittee for  forty  years,  and  employed  in  visiting  the  schools  time 
which,  as  he  said,  would  amount,  in  the  aggregate,  to  the  working 
days  of  four  years.  Respecting  his  influence  in  this  department 
of  duty,  one  of  his  former  parishioners  gave  the  following  pleas- 
ing reminiscence  at  the  celebration  of  the  fiftieth  year  from  his 
settlement :  '  You  at  this  time  could  not  have  been  aware  of  the 
full  effect  produced  by  your  inspiring  influence  in  these  little  nur- 
series of  virtue  and  knowledge.  I  remember  to  this  day  with 
what  admirable  address  and  natural  tenderness  you  brushed  off" 
the  rough  edge  of  a  remark  which  had  inadvertently  fallen  from 
another,  and  caused  joy  to  beam  from  the  bright  eye  which  had 
just  been  clouded  by  a  tear.' 

"  Dr.  Thompson's  influence  was  felt  in  the  association  of  min- 
isters to  which  he  belonged.  His  dignified  bearing,  the  eagerness 
with  which  he  welcomed,  as  well  as  the  willingness  with  which  he 
imparted  information,  and  the  readiness  with  which  he  encour- 
aged any  measure  having  in  view  the  interests  of  religion,  con- 
tributed much  to  make  the  meetings  of  the  association  useful  and 
delisrhtful. 


132  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

"  Dr.  Thompson's  character,  as  a  husband  and  a  father,  may 
be  inferred  from  what  has  been  ah'eady  said.  Depending  for  his 
support  on  the  small  stipend  of  five  hiuidred  dollars  a  year,  never 
free  from  debt  until  the  close  of  his  life,  he  gave  his  large  family 
the  best  education  they  could  receive  ;  and  no  sacrifice  which  he 
could  make  for  them  was  ever  withheld.  He  governed  in  the 
mildest  way ;  but  he  did  govern.  His  family  were  completely 
under  the  charm  of  his  beneficent  influence. 

"  The  writer  well  remembers  how  desirable  it  was  to  exchange 
on  Sundays  with  Dr.  Thompson,  not  only  to  secure  his  valuable 
services  for  his  pulpit,  but  to  enjoy  for  one  or  two  evenings  the 
open-hearted  hospitality  and  delightful  society  of  his  accomplished 
wife  and  daughters.  In  the  loss  of  this  most  excellent  of  women, 
and  of  five  children.  Dr.  Thompson  was  most  deeply  afflicted  ; 
but  his  was  a  piety  that  never  murmured  and  never  doubted. 
When  most  afflicted,  it  was  most  calm.  Resignation  was  his 
habitual  frame,  —  not  induced  by  any  spasmodic  effort,  but  the 
natural  posture  of  his  mind  and  heart  toward  God.  In  society  Dr. 
Thompson  ever  showed  himself  high-minded,  sincere,  courteous, 
and  cordial.  No  man  could  have  more  or  warmer  friends  in  pro- 
portion to  the  number  of  his  acquaintances  ;  and  this  was  large. 
Of  a  dignified  and  commanding  presence,  as  has  been  intimated, 
there  was  with  him  not  the  least  appearance  of  assumption,  but, 
on  the  contrary,  much  of  retiring  modesty  and  self-distrust.  Yet 
so  eminently  social  was  his  disposition,  that  in  all  social  meetings 
where  he  was  expected  he  was  sure  to  be  found,  and  never  failed, 
sooner  or  later,  to  contribute  even  more  than  his  share  to  the  inter- 
est of  the  occasion.  By  a  lively  or  instructive  anecdote,  by  a  vivid 
delineation  of  the  characters  of  the  deceased,  on  which  his  keen 
observation  had  been  fixed,  or  by  instructive  remarks  on  the  event 
or  subject  of  the  day,  he  riveted  attention,  and  was  in  truth  a  most 
agreeable  and  valuable  companion.  He  could  sympathize  with 
persons  of  every  age.  Those  who  were  twenty  or  thirty  years  his 
juniors  always  found  him  as  young  as  themselves. 

"  On  the  9th  of  June,  1845,  in  the  42d  year  of  his  ministry,  his 
distrust  of  his  own  powers,  which  has  been  alluded  to,  the  exces- 
sive jealousy  with  which  he  watched  the  encroachments  of  age 
upon  his  mind  and  body,  and  his  disinterested  regard  for  the  wel- 


HISTORICAL   DISCOURSE.  I33 

fare  of  his  parish,  led  him  to  ask  a  discharge  from  the  active 
duties  of  the  ministry  in  Bari'e,  still  retaining  his  connection  with 
the-  church,  but  relinquishing  the  whole  of  his  salary.  This 
request  was  accepted  by  the  parish  with  the  vote,  '  that  the  self- 
sacrificing  proposition  evinces  that  deep  interest  in  the  growth 
and  prosperity  of  the  society  which  has  ever  marked  his  conduct 
in  regard  to  this  Christian  flock.'  After  this  time  Dr.  Thompson 
continued  to  preach  in  several  vacant  pulpits,  to  great  accept- 
ance, till  near  the  close  of  his  life.  In  Cincinnati,  Dover,  N.  H., 
Leicester,  Hardwick,  and  Worcester,  his  services  were  highly 
appreciated,  and  are  remembered  with  respect. 

"On  January  11,  1854,  on  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  his  settle- 
ment, there  was  a  gathering  of  those  who  at  any  period  had  en- 
joyed his  religious  ministrations  in  Bari^e,  and  who  had  been 
scattered  in  various  parts  of  the  country.  At  this  jubilee  the  most 
hearty  tokens  of  respect  and  affection  to  the  aged  patriarch  were 
manifested,  and  a  valuable  present  made  in  money.  It  was  an 
occasion  to  him  of  the  utmost  delight  and  thankfulness,  and 
sweetened  all  his  remaining  days.  His  strength  seemed  gradually 
to  fail  soon  after  the  jubilee,  but  his  serious  illness  was  only  for  a 
week.  It  was  old  age,  diminishing  his  ability  to  bear  up  against 
a  chronic  difficulty  with  which  he  had  long  been  afflicted.  His 
strength  was  exhausted  ;  enfeebled  nature  yielded,  and  he  sank 
serenely  in  the  conscious  possession  of  all  his  mental  powers,  and 
with  a  cheerful  submission  of  his  soul  to  God,  into  the  arms  of 
death,  and  was,  as  we  trust,  borne  upward  into  the  invisible  realm 
of  his  faith  and  hope.  Farewell,  venerated,  true,  and  faithful 
friend  !  Thine  ever-welcome  form  will  no  more  meet  our  mortal 
eyes.  But  thine  image  shall  remain  engraved  on  our  hearts,  and 
the  precious  memory  of  former  intercourse  with  thee  shall  refresh 
and  strengthen  us  under  life's  duties  and  trials,  till  the  summons, 
which  calls  to  the  higher  home,  shall  come  to  us,  as  it  has  to 
thee." 


The  following  is  the  inscription  on  a  marble  monu- 
ment with  a  granite  base  at  the  left  of  the  entrance  of 
the  north  burial-ground  :  — 


134  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

"  In  Memory  of 

The  Rev.  James  Thompson,  S.  T.  D., 

Pastor  of  the  First  Congregational  Church. 

Born  April  13TH,  1780. 

Graduated  at  Brown  University  1799. 

Ordained  Jan.  ii,  1804. 

Died  May  14,  1854, 

In    the  75TH    YEAR    OF    HIS   AGE. 

A  LOVER  OF  Peace, 

Amiable  in  temper  and  Catholic  in  spirit, 

Of  tender  sympathies 

And  warm  affections, 

Of  strong  faith  and  modest 

But  fervent  piety, 

Of  solid  gifts  and  a  persuasive  eloquence, 

He  was  eminently  fitted  for 

The  Sacred  Office, 

And  highly  distinguished  as 

A  Christian  Minister." 

Here  we  take  final  leave  of  the  Church,  grateful  for 
the  piety  which  planted,  the  care  and  love  which  have 
watered,  and  the  increase  in  Christian  works  and 
charities  which  God  has  given  to  it;  and  with  the 
fervent  aspiration  that,  a  century  hence,  it  may  still  be 
seen  a  stately  tree,  with  all  its  branches,  by  whatever 
names  designated,  green  and  vigorous,  like  that  de- 
scribed in  the  Apocalypse,  "which  bare  twelve  man- 
ner of  fruits,  and  yielded  her  fruit  every  month:  and 
the  leaves  of  the  tree  were  for  the  healing  of  the 
nations." 

Reference  has  several  times  been  made  in  this  dis- 
course to  the  subject  of  education.  It  is  gratifying 
to  observe  that  this  great  interest  of  the  people  has 
received  increasing  attention  here  during  the  progress 


HISTORICAL  DISCOURSE.  I35 

of  the  present  century,  affording  a  hopeful  augury  for 
the  future.  This  increase  is  shown  in  part  by  figures 
compiled  from  the  valuable  tables  of  Dr.  Russell, 
before  referred  to. 

In  iSio,  the  population  was ^97^ 

,,      ,,        ,,    valuation       ,,         $659,600 

„      „        ,,    appropriation  for  Schools $Soo 

In  1S70,  the  population  was 2573 

,,      ,,       „   valuation       ,,         $1,832,888 

,,      ,,       „    appropriation  for  Schools $4,220 

This  gives  the  praiseworthy  result  that,  while  the 
population  in  sixty  years  increased  only  34  per  cent, 
and  the  valuation  not  quite  200  per  cent,  the  appro- 
priations for  schools  advanced  to  425  per  cent! 

But  this  is  not  the  only  evidence.  About  half  a 
century  ago  an  effort  was  made  to  establish  and  en- 
dow an  Academy  in  the  town,  which,  although  it 
proved  a  failure,  turned  ambition  in  the  right  direc- 
tion; and  when  Horace  Mann,  a  dozen  years  later, 
was  stirring  up  public  sentiment  on  the  subject 
throughout  the  Commonwealth,  the  slumbering  fires 
were  kindled  anew,  and  there  was  a  grand  awakening 
in  this  town.  Dr.  Thompson  and  his  associate  in  the 
school-committee,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Fay,  of  the  Evangeli- 
cal Society,  his  much-esteemed  friend,  worked  to- 
gether, with  a  zeal  that  never  slackened,  in  carrying 
on  the  revival.  A  convention  of  friends  of  education 
was  held  in  the  Unitarian  church,  in  which  its  min- 
ister, and  Mr.  Fay,  the  Rev.  Josiah  Clark,  of  Rutland, 
Rev.  Luther  Willson,  of  Petersham,  and  many  others. 


136  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

actively  participated.  I  well  remember  the  delight 
with  which  Mr.  Mann  spoke  to  me  of  the  timely  and 
hearty  service  rendered  to  him  by  these  gentlemen. 
One  of  the  fruits  of  this  awakening  was  the  establish- 
ment here,  in  the  year  1839,  of  the  second  of  the 
Normal  Schools  of  the  State.  There  were  many  com- 
petitors for  the  honor;  but,  though  the  town  labored 
under  the  disadvantage  of  having  no  access  by  rail- 
road, yet,  in  consequence  of  the  educational  interest 
here  manifested,  as  well  as  the  beauty  and  healthiness 
of  the  place,  it  was  finally  accorded  to  Barre.  The 
Rev.  S.  P.  Newman,  a  Professor  in  Bowdoin  College, 
was  appointed  its  Principal.  It  flourished  for  a  few 
years;  but  the  inconvenience  of  the  location  was  found 
to  be  too  great,  and  to  the  regret  of  the  people  of  the 
town  it  was  discontinued.  But  its  influence  was  a 
lasting  benefit. 

As  belonging  to  the  general  subject  of  education,  a 
list,  as  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  complete  it,  of  our 
graduates  of  colleges  is  here  subjoined:  — 

William  Caldwell,  H.  U.,  1773.  Studied  law 
and  practised  the  profession  several  years  in  Rutland; 
removed  to  Worcester;  received  the  appointment  of 
high  sheriff",  and  was  said  by  Governor  Lincoln  to 
have  been  "the  model  sheriff";"  died  in  1805. 

Ezra  Ripley,^  D.D.,  H.  U.,  1776.  A  Congrega- 
tional   (Unitarian)    minister;    ordained    at    Concord, 

*  Dr.  Ripley  was  born  in  Pomfret,  Conn.;  but  his  parents  removed  to 
Barre  when  he  was  sixteen  years  old.  The  gravestone  in  the  south  burial- 
ground  of  his  twice-married  mother  bears  this  inscription  :  "  In  memory  of 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  I37 

1778;  died  in  his  pastorate  in  1841,  having  preached 
his  last  sermon  on  the  day  after  he  had  completed  his 
90th  year;   a  highly  respected  and  eminent  divine. 

Lincoln  Ripley  (brother  of  the  above),  Dart. 
College  1796.  A  Congregational  minister,  settled  in 
Waterford,  Me.,  in  1799,  where  he  died  in  1858,  aged 
96  years.  Mr.  Ripley  was  the  minister  of  the  child- 
hood and  youth  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  T.  T.  Stone,  who 
bears  this  testimony  concerning  him:  "Take  him  in 
his  whole  character,  while  I  should  differ  from  him  in 
many  things,  I  must  say  that  I  never  knew  a  minister 
more  faithfully  devoted  to  his  work,  more  conscien- 
tious in  fulfilling  whatever  appeared  to  him  duty." 

Alpheus  Harding,  Dart.  C.  1805.  A  Congrega- 
tional (Unitarian)  minister;  settled  at  New  Salem, 
where  he  died  Feb.  9th,  1869,  aged  89  3'ears.  A 
sound  and  instructive  preacher;  a  faithful  pastor;  an 
industrious  farmer;  a  useful  and  honored  citizen. 

Charles  Jenkins,  W.  C.  1813.  A  Congregational 
minister  of  marked  ability.  First  settled  in  Greenfield, 
then  in  Portland,  Me.,  where  he  died  Dec.  28,  1831. 

Seth  E.  Winslow,  B.  U.  1814.  A  Congregational 
minister;  settled  and  died  in  Hartland,  Vt. 

Samuel  Caldwell,  H.  U.  1818.  Studied  law; 
settled  in  Canajoharie,  N.  Y. ;  removed  to  Buffalo, 
where  he  died  in   1849. 

George   Brooks  James,    H.  U.    1821.      Son   of 

Mrs.  Lydia  Burnett,  who  was  first  consort  of  Mr.  Noah  Ripley,  by  whom 
she  had  8  sons  and  ii  daughters,  17  of  whom  lived  to  have  families.  Her 
descendants  at  her  death  were  97  grandchildren  and  106  great-grandchil- 
dren. She  died  June  17th,  1816,  aged  91  years.  '  Many  daughters  have 
done  virtuously,  but  thou  excellest.'" 


138  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

Eleazar.     Studied  law;    broke  down  in  health,  and 
died  at  Somerville,  1833. 

David  Oliver  Allen,  A.  C.  1823,  where  he  also 
received  the  honorary  degree  of  D.D.  A  Congrega- 
tional minister.  Spent  30  years  in  India.  Author  of 
a  large  octavo  volume,  "  India,  Ancient  and  Modern." 
Born  in  Barre,  1799,  and  died  in  Lowell,  1863. 

Charles  Wadsworth,  B.  U.  1827.  Studied  law, 
and  practised  a  few  years  in  Barre.  Removed  to 
New  York,  and  engaged  extensively  in  real  estate 
operations.  Sent  a  son  to  Harvard  College.  Died  in 
New  York,  May  3,  1866. 

James  W.  Thompson,  B.  U.  1827.  A  Congrega- 
tional (Unitarian)  minister,  Jamaica  Plain. 

Henry  L.  Plummer,  U.  C.  1829.  Physician; 
died  in  California. 

Charles  Eames,  H.  U.  1831.  A  lawyer  of  emi- 
nence and  a  brilliant  political  writer.  Settled  in 
Washington,  D.C.,  where  he  died  in   1867. 

Daniel  Ruggles,  West  Point  1833.  A  resident 
of  Virginia,  and  Brig.-Gen.  in  late  Confederate  Army. 

Robert  T.  Conant,  A.  C.  1836.  A  Congrega- 
tional minister,  Ogdensburgh,  N.Y. 

Abraham  Jenkins,  Jr.,  A.  C.  1838.  A  Congrega- 
tional minister,  Fitzwilliam,  N.H.     Deceased. 

Reuben  T.  Robinson,  H.  U.  1841.  A  Congrega- 
tional minister.    Settled  in  Winchester.    Died  in  1871. 

Joseph  P.  Plummer,  West  Point,  1841.  Brevet 
Maj.-Gen.  of  Volunteers  in  the  Union  Army.  Died 
at  Corinth,  Ala.,  of  disease  contracted  in  the  service. 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  I39 

J.  Martin  Gorham,  H.  U.  185  i.  A  lawyer  in  Barre. 

Samuel  Fay  Woods,  Y.  C.  1856.  A  lawyer  in 
Barre.  Adjutant  of  the  34th  Mass.  Infantry,  and  mor- 
tally wounded  at  Stanton,  Va.     Died  at  Worcester. 

William  Crawford,  A.  C.  1857.  A  Congrega- 
tional minister,  Green  Bay,  Wis. 

Joseph  W.  Grosvener,  Dart.  C.  1859.  A  ph}^- 
sician,  Lockport,  N,Y. 

Sidney  Crawford,  A.  C.  1861.  A  Congrega- 
tional minister. 

Charles  Lee  Bixby,  H.  U.  1861.  Merchant, 
Boston. 

William  Bullard  Durant,  H.  U.  1865;  LL.B. 
1869.     Boston. 

James  Thompson  Bixby,  H.  U.  1864.  A  Congre- 
gational (Unitarian)  minister,  Belfast,  Me. 

Frederick  Holland,  A.  C.  1865.     Farmer,  Barre. 

Geo.  F.  Babbitt,  H.  U.  1872.     Journalist,  Boston. 

Charles  Herbert  Bixby,  West  Point  1873. 

Here  I  leave  the  subject  of  Education,  inscribing  on 
my  page,  as  I  do  it,  to  be  kept  by  you  and  your  pos- 
terity as  a  golden  lesson  for  all  time  the  memorable 
words  of  Winthrop,  first  governor  of  "  the  Massachu- 
setts Bay  in  New  England:  "  — 

"  It  being  one  chief  project  of  that  old  deludei",  Satan,  to  keep 
men  from  the  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  as  in  former  times  by 
keeping  them  in  an  unknown  tongue,  so  in  these  latter  times  by- 
persuading  them  from  the  use  of  tongues,  that  so  at  least  the  true 
sense  and  meaning  of  the  original  might  be  clouded  by  false 
glosses  of  saint-seeming  deceivers,  —  that  learning  be   not 

BURIED  IN  THE  GRAVE  OF  OUR  FATHERS  IN  THE  CHURCH  AND 


140  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

COMMONWEALTH,  the  Lord  assisting  oui*  endeavors,  —  It  is  there- 
fore ordered,  .  .  .  that  when  any  town  shall  increase  to  the  num- 
ber of  one  hundred  families  or  householders  they  shall  set  up  a 
Grammar  School,  the  master  thereof  being  able  to  instruct  youth 
so  far  as  they  may  be  fitted  for  the  university." 

It  is  a  just  and  proud  commentary  on  these  words 
of  far-seeing  wisdom  when  Dr.  Palfrey  proclaims  that, 
"Since  the  seventeenth  year  of  Massachu- 
setts NO  CHILD  OF  HERS  HAS  BEEN  ABLE  TO  SAY, 
THAT    TO    HIM    POVERTY    HAS    CLOSED    THE   BOOK   OF 


KNOWLEDGE    OR    THE    WAY   TO    HONOR 


5?  * 


Some  account  of  the  members  of  the  learned  pro- 
fessions, other  than  ministers,  who  from  time  to  time 
have  been  in  practice  in  this  town,  should  have  a  place 
in  a  memorial  discourse;  but  necessity  compels  me 
to  pass  them  with  only  a  hasty  glance.  We  have  had 
seventeen  lawyers,  and  still  exercise  ourselves  "  to 
have  always  a  conscience  void  of  offence  toward  God 
and  toward  man!"  An  equal  number  of  doctors; 
and,  it  is  enough  to  say,  "We  still  live!"  Of  the 
lawyers,  eight  were  graduates  of  colleges;  namely, 
four  of  Harvard  University,  two  of  Yale,  one  of  Dart- 
mouth, one  of  Brown  University.  Of  the  doctors, 
four  are  academical  graduates;  namely,  three  of  Har- 
vard University  and  one  of  Dartmouth  College.  In 
the  legal  profession,  of  those  still  alive,  one,  the 
Hon.  P.  E.  Aldrich,  after  attaining  to  eminence  at  the 
bar  of  the  county,  has  recently  been  appointed  a  jus- 
tice of  the   Superior  Court  of  the  State,  and  has  al- 

*  Palfrey's  History  of  New  England,  II.  262. 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  I4I 

ready  made  himself  "  a  terror  to  evil-doers."  The 
others  —  let  their  own  works  praise  them!  Of  the 
dead,  three  only,  on  account  of  the  length  of  the  term 
of  their  practice  and  their  reputation  and  influence  as 
citizens,  demand  a  brief  reference.  Eleazar  James 
was  the  first  in  time,  having  opened  an  office  here  in 
the  year  1793.  He  was  a  native  of  Cohasset,  and  a 
graduate  of  Harvard  in  the  class  of  1767.  His  ap- 
pointment as  Tutor  is  proof  that  he  was  a  scholar  of 
no  ordinary  rank.  During  the  period  of  eight  years 
he  discharged  the  duties  of  that  office  in  such  a 
manner  that  he  was  regarded  as  the  ruling  spirit  in 
the  faculty  of  instruction  and  government.  Whilst 
living  at  Cambridge  he  studied  for  the  ministry  and 
preached  a  few  Sundays.  But  an  insufficient  voice 
and  hesitating  manner  soon  discouraged  him,  and  he 
abandoned  that  profession.  Entering  the  law-office 
of  the  first  Levi  Lincoln,  of  Worcester,  he  was  ad- 
mitted, in  due  time,  to  the  bar  of  this  county,  and 
opened  an  office  at  Rutland.  He  remained  there  only 
a  year,  and  then  removed  to  this  town,  where  he  mar- 
ried a  daughter  of  Dr.  Brooks,  and  resided  till  1838. 
Mr.  James's  scholastic  attainments  were  probably  not 
exceeded  by  those  of  any  man  in  this  part  of  the 
State.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  taste,  refinement,  and 
general  culture.  He  loved  books.  He  loved  culti- 
vated society.  He  brought  with  him  the  manners 
and  habits  of  the  best  circles  in  Cambridge  and  Bos- 
ton. He  always  dressed  with  neatness  and  elegance. 
He  took  much  pains  in  the  education  of  his  children, 


142  BARRE    CENTENNIAL,. 

and  by  his  example  stimulated  others.  A  lover  of 
the  church  and  its  ordinances,  he  held  up  the  hands  of 
its  minister.  He  had  no  gift  for  public  speaking,  no 
fluency.  His  points  in  argument  were  generally  well 
taken,  and  he  managed  to  make  them  well  under- 
stood; but  it  was  in  a  jerkey,  laborious  way.  His 
practice,  however,  was  extensive,  and  he  was  much 
respected  by  the  courts.  His  influence  in  improving 
the  tone  of  society  was  very  considerable.  When 
superior  taste  and  refinement  appear  in  one  or  two 
leading  families  in  a  town,  the  example  becomes  con- 
tagious, and  reaches  many  others.  Mr.  James  had 
one  son,  who  was  graduated  at  Harvard  University  in 
the  class  of  182 1,  —  a  very  promising  youth,  dying 
young,  the  victim  of  an  overtasked  brain.  Besides 
this  son,  he  had  three  daughters,  one  only  of  whom 
survives,  my  own  wife;  and  the  others  are  repre- 
sented here  to-day,  by  a  son  of  the  late  Rev.  Dr. 
Young,  of  Boston,  and  by  daughters  of  the  late  Chief 
Justice  Allen,  of  Worcester,  his  grandchildren. 

A  very  different  man  was  Mr.  Seth  Lee,  born  in 
this  town  Sept.  13,  1770,  and  a  lawyer  of  reputation. 
He  began  life  a  farmer  with  only  the  scant  education 
of  our  common  schools,  and  not  until  he  was  married 
and  had  a  family  did  he  enter  on  a  course  of  study 
for  his  profession.  This  was  pursued  under  many 
embarrassments;  but  he  had  great  courage  and  perse- 
verance, and  in  August,  1809,  was  admitted  an  attor- 
ney of  the  C.  C.  P.,  and  at  once  opened  an  office  in 
this  town.    An  inhabitant  by  birth,  everybody  was  ac- 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  I43 

quainted  with  him,  and  his  practice  soon  became 
considerable.  A  man  of  a  rugged  nature,  an  iron 
will,  with  strong  common-sense  and  much  shrewd- 
ness, with  clear  perceptions  and  a  good  grip,  with  a 
talent  for  raillery  and  sarcasm,  at  that  time  deemed 
indispensable  in  an  advocate,  though  unlettered  and 
without  the  slightest  faculty  for  rhetorical  expression, 
he  grew  to  be  an  advocate  of  no  mean  rank,  and  in 
the  various  wrestling-matches  of  the  bar  was  an 
antagonist  hard  to  throw.  His  family  added  greatly 
to  the  attractions  of  our  town.  Three  of  his  sons  be- 
came prominent  merchants  in  New  York,  and  one  of 
his  daughters,  Mrs.  J.  G.  Thurston,  remembered  by 
many  here  with  affection,  is  a  highly  esteemed  resi- 
dent of  Lancaster.  Mr.  Lee,  late  in  life,  during  the 
progress  of  a  "  revival  of  religion,"  became  warmly 
interested,  and  united  with  the  Evangelical  church. 
An  amusing  anecdote  is  told  of  him  in  this  connec- 
tion, the  truth  of  which  I  do  not  vouch  for.  It  is  said 
that  in  a  conference-meeting,  soon  after  his  conver- 
sion, his  minister  asked  him  if  he  would  offer  prayer. 
It  was  a  tight  place  for  the  old  lawyer;  but  after 
removing  the  contents  of  his  mouth  and  clearing  his 
throat,  he  replied,  "  I  don't  care  if  I  make  you  a  short 
one."  Rising  and  closing  his  eyes,  he  began,  as  if 
addressing  the  court:  "  May  it  please  your  Honor!" 
but  instantly  corrected  himself,  and  almost  as  quickly 
sat  down,  greatly  to  the  consternation  of  the  meeting. 
Contemporary  with  Mr.  Lee  was  Nathaniel  Hough- 
ton, Esq.,  a  native  of  Sterling,  who  came  here  in  the 


144  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

first  decade  of  the  century,  a  young  man  of  prepos- 
sessing appearance  and  pleasing  address.  Soon  after 
coming  he  married  one  of  our  most  cultivated  ladies, 
a  daughter  of  Capt.  Edmund  Howes,  a  highly  respect- 
able gentleman  who,  after  following  the  seas  till  he 
had  accumulated  a  handsome  property,  removed  to 
this  town  from  Cape  Cod  and  purchased  an  estate, 
which,  for  beauty  of  situation,  is  almost  unrivalled. 
Mr.  Houghton's  practice  after  a  few  years  became 
quite  lucrative.  He  had  a  musical  voice,  a  flowing, 
"  flowery  "  style  of  speaking,  was  good-tempered  and 
affable,  a  popular  and  useful  citizen.  He  was  never 
an  advocate,  but  in  the  common  run  of  practice  in  a  ' 
country  town  satisfied  his  clients.  The  two  political 
parties  of  that  time  were  known  as  Federal  and 
Republican.  Mr.  Houghton  was  an  ardent  sup- 
porter of  the  latter.  This  gave  him  an  advantage 
as  a  lawyer;  for  the  town  was  nearly  equally  divided, 
and  both  the  other  lawyers  were  of  the  opposite  party. 
When  his  party  had  the  ascendancy  Mr.  Houghton 
was  often  chosen  as  its  representative  in  its  various 
conventions;  several  times  as  a  senator  of  the  State, 
and  once  or  twice  as  a  member  of  the  Executive 
Council.  He  was  a  kind  neighbor  and  a  friendl}^, 
agreeable   companion. 

There  are  other  names  in  the  legal  profession,  the 
mention  of  which  would  readily  recall  to  some  of 
your  minds  men  of  eminent  gifts  and  brilliant  accom- 
plishments. Christopher  C.  Baldwin  was  one  of 
these.     More  remarkable  still  was  Walter  A.  Bryant, 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  I45 

who  in  a  lifetime  of  a  little  more  than  thirty  years 
attained  to  the  foremost  rank  of  counsellors  and  advo- 
cates in  "the  heart  of  the  Commonwealth."  All  these 
names  will  have  a  proper  place  in  some  future  his- 
tory of  the  town. 

The  name  of  W.  A.  Bryant  suggests  that  of  a 
kindred  genius  lodged  in  an  equally  frail  tabernacle 
of  flesh,  his  lamented  nephew,  the  late  George  Bryant 
Woods,  whom  it  would  be  unpardonable  neglect  to 
pass  wholly  unnoticed  even  in  this  cursor3''  review. 
Mr.  Woods  was  not  a  lawyer,  but  belonged  to  that 
noble  and  growing  profession  to  which  every  other 
and  all  callings  are  indebted  for  a  large  part  of  their 
intellectual  food  and  pleasure.  I  mean  the  profession 
of  Journalism.  His  earthly  career  was  short;  but, 
like  his  uncle,  he  was  well-nigh  a  full-grown  man  in 
intellect  at  eighteen.  Though  doomed  to  struggle 
from  childhood  with  the  enervating  conditions  of  a 
feeble  constitution  and  the  encroachments  of  insidious 
disease,  he  lived  long  enough  to  develop  powers  of 
unusual  force  and  brilliancy  as  a  writer,  and  to  earn 
an  enviable  reputation  amongst  the  younger  members 
of  his  craft.  Mr.  Woods  was  the  son  of  Edwin 
Woods,  Esq.  He  died  on  the  29th  of  April,  1871, 
aged  twenty-seven  years.  A  handsome  volume,  en- 
titled "  Essays,  Sketches,  and  Stories,  selected  from  the 
Writings  of  George  Bryant  Woods,"  has  been  pub- 
lished since  his  decease,  which  fully  sustains  the  high 
estimate  his  friends  had  formed  of  his  versatile  and 
extraordinary  powers. 

19 


146  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

In  closing  these  brief  notices,  I  am  impelled  by  a 
profound  respect  for  their  memory  to  pay  a  tribute 
to  two  other  sons  of  Barre  who  practised  law  and 
rose  to  distinction  in  other  places.  To  one  of  these, 
Timothy  Jenkins,  allusion  has  been  made  before. 
He  was  born  in  this  town,  Jan.  29,  1799-  Till  he  was 
eighteen  years  of  age  he  worked  on  his  father's  farm. 
But  not  content  with  so  monotonous  a  life,  he  left  his 
home  determined  to  make  a  career  in  some  intel- 
lectual pursuit.  Two  years  he  devoted  to  study  at 
academies  in  the  interior  of  New  York,  fitting  himself 
for  school-teaching,  to  which  employment  he  gave 
two  or  three  years,  improving  all  the  time  he  could 
save  from  its  duties  by  reading  and  study.  During  this 
period  he  conceived  the  idea  of  being  a  lawyer;  and, 
giving  up  his  school,  he  entered  the  office  of  Judge 
Beardsley,  of  Utica,  where  he  gave  undivided  atten- 
tion to  the  studies  of  the  profession.  Establishing 
himself  first  at  Vernon  and  then  at  Oneida  Castle,  he 
soon  rose  to  distinction  at  the  Bar;  acquired  fortune 
as  well  as  reputation;  was  sent  to  Congress  in  four 
elections;  and  in  Congress,  though  a  Democrat,  took 
strong  ground  by  the  side  of  the  foremost  in  oppo- 
sition to  slavery.  "  Mr.  Jenkins,  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  enjoyed  a  wide  professional  practice,"  says  one 
of  the  newspapers  of  the  county  in  which  he  lived, 
"  and  was  regarded  as  among  the  ablest  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Bar  in  the  State  of  New  York."  "  No 
spot  darkens  his  reputation,  no  shadow  rests  on  his 
memory,"  said  one  of  his  eulogists  of  the  Bar.  .  .  "lie 


HISTORICAL   DISCOURSE.  I47 

was  simple  and  unpretending  in  his  manners,  unos- 
tentatious in  his  tastes,  fond  of  the  quiet  of  the  country, 
deUghting  in  rural  occupations.  As  a  lawyer,  he  was 
distinguished  for  his  careful  and  laborious  research, 
his  unwearied  industry,  his  clear  and  orderly  mind, 
his  fairness  and  liberality  in  practice.  With  no  pre- 
tensions to  the  graces  of  oratory  or  the  charms  of 
eloquence,  he  possessed  an  earnestness  of  thought  and 
vigor  of  expression  that  always  commanded  the  atten- 
tion of  courts  and  juries."  And,  best  of  all,  the  Rev. 
Samuel  J.  May,  in  a  funeral  sermon,  bears  the  strong- 
est testimony  to  his  Christian  faith  and  noble  example 
as  an  avowed  and  loving  disciple  of  Christ. 

The  other  bore  the  same  name,  being  the  eldest 
son  of  our  late  intelligent  and  esteemed  fellow-citizen, 
Capt.  James  W.  Jenkins.  This  young  man  pursued 
much  the  same  course  with  his  cousin,  stimulated 
probably  by  his  example.  In  his  office  he  studied 
law,  and  on  his  removal  from  Vernon  to  Oneida 
Castle  succeeded  in  part  to  his  practice.  He,  too,  by 
patient  industry  and  a  sound  judgment,  with  excellent 
qualities  of  heart,  rose  to  eminence  in  his  profes- 
sion and  in  the  confidence  of  the  community  in  which 
he  lived.  But  his  upright,  benevolent,  large-souled 
character  was  his  highest  distinction.  He  was  not 
merely  respected,  but  universally  beloved.  The  basis 
of  that  character,  its  guiding  motive,  its  controlling 
force,  was  religion;  and  to  all  the  institutions  of 
religion  he  gave  hearty  support.  The  Rev.  Mr. 
Emmons,  his  minister,  speaking  at  his  funeral,  cries: 


148  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

"  And  who  of  us,  brethren  and  friends,  are  not 
mourners?  Who  in  all  this  community  has  not  felt 
that  a  blow  has  fallen,  which  has  touched  his  own 
sympathies  and  moved  his  sorrow?  The  presence  of 
this  large  representation  from  all  the  bounds  of  our 
town,  the  feeling  depicted  on  every  countenance,  the 
tone  of  anxious  inquiry  and  of  desponding  grief,  tes- 
tify that  a  man  of  no  common  mark  has  fallen.  Not 
his  family  alone  are  mourners,  not  this  religious  soci- 
et}?^  alone,  not  the  circle,  large  as  it  was,  of  personal 
friends,  are  they  whom  grief  and  sorrow  pervade; 
but  all  classes,  all  interests,  share  deeply  in  a  sense  of 
loss.  What  great  interest  was  there  of  this  commu- 
nity that  he  did  not  aim  to  promote  ?  What  circle, 
from  the  home  of  the  poor  to  the  dwelling  of  the 
affluent,  did  not  welcome  the  sunshine  of  his  presence? 
What  sick  or  afflicted  or  needy  soul  has  wanted  for 
sympathy  or  friendly  offices,  that  he  has  known  and 
not  rendered?  " 

Coming  now  to  the  Physicians,  the  notices  must  be 
still  more  brief  The  first,  Dr.  Brooks,  has  already 
been  spoken  of  Dr.  Ebenezer  Rice,  who  was  also  a 
magistrate,  was  a  graduate  of  Harvard  of  the  class  of 
1760.  He  came  here  rather  late  in  life,  and  is  be- 
lieved to  have  been  occupied  chiefly  in  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  is  characterized  by  Dr.  Thompson,  in 
his  half-century  sermon,  as  "  a  ripe  scholar,"  an  "  ac- 
complished man,"  "  a  sound  Christian,"  "dignified  and 
urbane  in  manners,"  and  "  highly  respected  in  all  the 
relations  of  life."     Dr.  Asa  Walker  was  here  in  full 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  I49 

practice  before  the  end  of  the  last  century,  and  con- 
tinued to  be  a  popular  physician  till  his  retirement  at 
an  advanced  age.  Dr.  Anson  Bates,  a  young  man 
from  Fair  Haven,  after  a  course  of  professional  study 
at  Hanover,  N.  H.,  established  himself  in  this  tow^n, 
and  in  a  short  time  proved  to  be  a  man  of  much  skill 
both  in  medicine  and  surgery.  Of  fine  personal  ap- 
pearance, of  great  energy  and  power  of  endurance, 
cheerful  and  hearty  in  social  relations,  easily  gaining 
the  confidence  and  attachment  of  his  patients,  his 
range  of  practice  became  very  large;  and  at  all  times 
of  night  and  day,  in  fair  weather  and  foul,  in  heat  and 
cold,  he  was  on  the  drive.  His  practice  was  of  the 
kind  called  "  heroic."  Is  it  because  it  required  so 
much  heroism  on  the  part  of  the  patients  to  endure 
it?  Oh,  how  much  of  the  best  blood  of  Barre  did 
he  draw  otT!  Phlebotomy,  ipecacuanha,  calomel  and 
jalap,  salts  and  senna,  each  according  to  the  circum- 
stances, did  the  business!  When  a  very  sick  patient 
got  well,  nothing  saved  him  but  the  extraordinary 
skill  of  the  doctor;  when  he  died,  it  was  the  will  of 
God!  The  doctor's  saddle-bags  were  the  only  apothe- 
cary shop  in  town;  and  the  problem  seemed  to  be 
how  most  expeditiously  to  dispose  of  the  contents. 
It  may  be  presumed  that  Dr.  Bates  prescribed  more 
physic  in  a  single  case  of  fever  than  either  of  his  emi- 
nent sons,  now  in  practice,  would  deem  necessary 
in  fifty.  So  great  has  been  the  change  in  the  treat- 
ment of  disease  during  the  last  thirty  years!  How- 
ever, on  the  Darwinian  principle  of  the  "  Survival   of 


150  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

the  fittest,"  or  some  other,  a  few  of  us  remain  to  tell 
the  story!  Dr.  Bates  was  a  man  of  marked  points, 
entertaining  in  conversation,  decided  in  opinion,  at- 
tached by  early  education  and  the  convictions  of  his 
mature  life  to  that  branch  of  the  church  known  as 
"  orthodox,"  and  lending  to  its  support  the  whole 
weight  of  his  character  and  influence.  He  died, 
greatly  lamented,  in  the  peace  of  the  Christian  faith, 
on  the  14th  of  Jul}^,  1836.* 

To  this  sketch  of  a  few  of  our  departed  physicians, 
I  could  not  excuse  myself  if  I  failed  to  add  some 
memorial  of  one  who,  born  amongst  us,  and  known 
with  affection  by  many  here,  rose  to  the  highest  rank 
in  his  profession  in  the  city  of  Boston.  I  refer  to 
Dr.  Marshall  Sears  Perry,  grandson  of  that  heroic 
woman  of  whom  I  spoke  early  in  the  discourse.  Dr. 
Perry  was  from  the  same  neighborhood  and  of  the 
same  age  with  the  370unger  Mr.  Jenkins,  the  lawyer. 
They  were  intimate  friends,  and  not  unlike  in  the  ele- 
ments of  their  character.  Both  worked  hard  during 
most  of  their  youth  on  their  fathers'  farms.  Both 
were  early  fired  with  an  ambition  to  be  something 

*  The  elder  of  Dr.  B.'s  sons  (Dr.  J.  N.  Bates,  of  Worcester)  would  seem  to 
have  gone  quite  to  the  opposite  extreme  of  his  father's  practice,  if  he  may 
be  judged  by  an  anecdote  which  has  been  told  me  since  the  delivery  of 
this  discourse.  A  certain  deacon  of  the  town,  an  excellent  but  rather 
austere  Christian,  suffering  grievously  from  rheumatism  in  his  limbs,  met 
the  doctor  one  day,  and,  stopping  his  carriage,  asked  him,  with  many 
grimaces  and  contortions,  if  he  could  tell  him  of  any  thing  that  would  help 
him.  The  doctor  reflected  a  moment,  and  answered  he  thought  he  could. 
"  Well,  what  is  it?"  cried  the  deacon  in  agony.  "  Fear  God  and  keep  his 
commandments,  deacon,"  answered  the  doctor,  and  drove  on.  At  last 
accounts  the  deacon  was  trying  the  prescription  and  doing  well. 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  I5I 

more  than  ordinarily  good  and  useful  men.  Both 
were  of  a  serious  cast  of  thought,  high-toned,  clean- 
hearted,  conscientious,  open  to  good  impressions. 
Both  were  obliged  to  struggle  with  uneasy  circum- 
stances, to  form  their  own  plans,  and  make  their  own 
way  in  life.  Both  qualified  themselves  for  teaching, 
and  made  their  first  efforts,  in  an  independent  way,  as 
school-masters.  Dr.  Perry  began  on  Cape  Cod,  where 
he  had  influential  kindred.  But  his  predilection  from 
the  start  was  for  the  medical  profession,  in  which 
some  of  his  father's  relatives  had  distinguished  them- 
selves; although,  for  a  short  time,  there  was  a  debate 
in  his  mind  between  this  and  the  ministry.  In  one 
sense  he  was  a  born  physician;  he  had  a  natural  taste 
and  aptitude  for  its  delicate  offices.  Returning  from 
his  winter  of  school-keeping  on  the  Cape,  he  made 
the  acquaintance  of  Dr.  Doane,  then  a  physician  of 
extensive  practice  in  Boston,  who  listened  to  the  story 
of  his  wishes  with  the  utmost  kindness,  and  at  once 
made  it  easy  for  him  to  prosecute  his  studies 
through  their  entire  course.  On  receiving  his  di- 
ploma, he  opened  an  office  on  the  corner  of  Washing- 
ton and  Eliot  Streets  in  Boston,  put  out  his  sign  and 
waited  anxiously  for  his  first  patient.  At  that  time  he 
supported  himself  on  three  dollars  a  week,  exclusive 
of  rent.  He  waited  —  but  not  long.  The  call  came, 
and  others  in  quick  succession,  insomuch  that  the 
vessel  of  his  prosperity  in  two  or  three  years  was 
fairly  under  sail  with  a  favoring  breeze.  Continuing 
the   nautical   figure,   he   took  for  his   mate   one  who 


152  BARRE   CENTENNIAL. 

"  knew  every  rope  in  the  ship,"  her  father  being  a 
physician  of  eminence,  the  late  Dr.  Stimson,  of  Ded- 
ham.  In  this  choice  he  was  singularly  fortunate. 
When  the  wife,  an  admirable  and  attractive  woman, 
made  new  friends,  or  introduced  him  to  old  ones,  he 
was  sure  to  keep  them.  There  was  no  halting  now 
in  his  onward  march.  From  a  doctor  on  foot  he 
became  a  doctor  in  his  chaise,  and  from  one  horse 
he  advanced  to  two  and  three;  and  before  he  had 
reached  the  fiftieth  year  of  his  age  his  practice,  em- 
bracing families  in  the  highest  walks  of  life,  had 
become  the  most  lucrative  of  any  physician's  in  the 
city.  But  in  the  high  noon  of  his  fame  and  his  use- 
fulness he  was  overtaken  by  a  fatal  disease,  and  re- 
moved from  the  world,  to  the  great  grief  of  thousands 
who  loved  him  and  who  felt  that  his  loss  as  their 
physician  and  friend  could  never  be  made  good.  I 
transcribe  for  preservation  in  these  pages  two  or  three 
obituary  notices,  which  none  who  knew  him  will 
deem  extravagant.  The  first  is  from  a  newspaper 
published  in  Dedham,  where  he  spent  the  spring  and 
summer  previous  to  his  death  :  — 

"  Dr.  Marshall  S.  Perry,  of  Boston,  who,  during  the  past  sum- 
mer, resided  in  this  town,  died  at  his  residence  in  Chauncy  Street, 
Boston,  at  twelve  o'clock,  on  Friday  night,  November  18,  iS';9. 
Dr.  Perry  was  a  native  of  Barre,  and  his  age  was  about  54  years. 
He  leaves  two  daughters  and  four  sons.  His  medical  studies 
were  principally  pursued  with  the  late  Dr.  Doane,  and  he  com- 
menced practice  in  Boston  about  twenty-five  years  ago. 

"  Dr.  Perry  was  the  physician  who  attended  Senator  Sumnei 
during  the  early  stage  of  the   illness  which   resulted  from  the 


HISTORICAL   DISCOURSE.  I53 

assault  by  Brooks  ;  and,  there  is  little  reason  to  doubt,  was  the 
providential  means  of  saving  his  life  at  that  critical  moment. 

"  Few  men  have  ever  lived  who  have  accomplished  more  real 
good  in  their  lives,  and  in  their  death  have  been  more  sincerely 
mourned.  The  profession  has  lost  in  him  one  of  its  brightest 
and  noblest  examples,  and  the  sick  and  the  poor  a  steadfast  and 
sympathizing  friend.  At  the  close  of  a  discourse  delivered  last 
Sunday  morning  in  the  First  Church  in  this  town,  the  pastor, 
Rev.  Dr.  Lamson,  made  the  following  feeling  and  truthful  allu- 
sion to  his  life  and  character:  — 

"  '  "  The  world  passeth  away,"  and  we  are  all  passing  on  to 
judgment.  When  I  began  the  preparation  of  this  discourse,  I 
little  thought  that  before  its  delivery  intelligence  would  come  that 
one,  eminently  entitled  to  be  called  the  "  beloved  ph3'sician,"  who 
had  passed  the  summer  and  early  autumnal  months  among  us, 
though  in  the  chamber  of  the  invalid  and  visible  to  but  few,  had 
entered  the  eternal  world.  I  had  trusted,  at  least  hoped,  for  the 
sake  of  the  living,  that  he  would  be  spared  to  be  the  instrument, 
under  Providence,  of  extending  to  multitudes  the  benefit  of  his 
inspiring  counsels,  his  soothing  words,  and  his  skill  in  the  healing 
art.     But  Heaven  had  ordained  a  different  result. 

"  '  He  bore  with  Christian  fortitude  and  patience  a  long  and 
painful  illness  ;  he  was  resigned  to  the  decrees  of  Providence,  and 
murmured  not  at  their  seeming  severity.  As  was  said  of  another, 
a  great  man,  who,  a  little  more  than  half  a  century  ago,  passed 
away,  an  occupant  of  the  same  dwelling,  "  He  had  many  reasons 
for  wishing  to  live.  The  summons  came  to  demand  of  his  noon 
of  life  the  residue  of  a  day  which  had  been  bright  and  fair ;  .  .  . 
of  his  parental  tenderness,  the  surrender  of  his  children  to  the 
chances  and  vicissitudes  of  life  without  his  counsel  and  care."  * 
Yet,  like  that  other,  "  with  composure  and  dignity,  he  saw  the 
approach  of  his  dissolution,"  and  bowed  in  calm  submission  to  the 
will  of  Heaven.  Entering  on  his  profession  in  the  capital  of  New 
England,  he  rose  by  gradual  and  sure  steps,  and,  in  the  extent  of 
his  practice  at  the  time  of  his  attack  by  the  malady  which  proved 
fatal,  stood,  I  believe,  foremost  among  his  professional  brethren 
in  the  city.     This  is  the  more  remarkable  and  the  more  to  his 

*  Dr.  Kirkland's  Life  of  Fisher  Ames. 
20 


154  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

credit,  as  his  early  advantages  were  not  great ;  he  had  difficulties 
to  struggle  with  ;  he  had  no  powerful  patrons ;  he  was  eminently 
what  is  called  a  self-made  man.  But  he  had  peculiar  merits. 
To  his  industry  and  correct  habits  and  a  youth  unspotted,  he 
added  the  strictest  conscientiousness,  sincerity,  truthfulness,  and  a 
manner  in  a  marked  degree  kind  and  affectionate.  This  was 
evidently  not  put  on,  was  not  assumed  for  effect ;  it  cost  him 
nothing  to  appear  kind,  because  he  was  kind  at  heart ;  his  sym- 
pathies had  their  fountain  there,  and  flowed  out  as  naturally  as 
streams  from  the  head-spring.  He  was  gentle,  yet  firm  and 
decided,  —  an  example  of  one  who  offended  not  in  word,  though  to 
win  favor  he  never  compromised  truth.  Over  all  there  was,  in 
his  intercourse  with  his  patients,  an  undefined  charm,  an  inde- 
scribable something,  which  instantly  won  confidence  and  inspired 
a  warmth  of  affection  which  I  have  never  seen  equalled  in  any 
similar  case.  His  presence  and  counsels  accomplished  as  much 
as  his  prescriptions.  They  gave  courage  to  the  heart ;  the  spirits 
rallied  ;  and  I  do  not  know  that  I  express  myself  extravagantly 
when  I  say,  that  as  a  visitant  in  the  sick-room  his  inffuence 
seemed  that  of  a  being  of  another  sphere.  Yet  he  was  modest 
and  humble  ;  he  was  an  instrument,  as  he  regarded  himself,  in  the 
hands  of  Providence.  He  had  self-respect,  but  none  of  the  arro- 
gance which  sometimes  attends  great  success.  There  is  no  one 
who  will  be  more  missed  in  the  community  ;  uncounted  tears  will 
be  shed  in  secret  chambers  over  his  early  removal.  May  He, 
whose  prerogative  it  is  to  educe  good  out  of  evil  and  bring  light 
out  of  darkness,  cause  all  to  turn  to  a  happy  issue,  bind  up  the 
broken-hearted,  and  heal  the  bruised  in  spirit. 

"  '  To  the  young,  I  know  of  no  example  more  precious  than  that 
of  him  who  has  thus  passed  away  amid  tears  which  fall  "  fast  as 
rain."  It  shows  what  steadfastness  of  purpose,  industry,  Chris- 
tian conscientiousness,  and  a  kindness  of  heart,  to  which  no  one, 
and  especially  no  sufferer,  can  remain  insensible,  may  accomplish. 
In  such  a  presence,  how  fade  into  nothingness  all  the  gorgeous 
shows  of  things  which  so  dazzle  the  unthinking  world  !  God 
help  the  young  to  profit  by  the  lesson.'  " 

Of  his  religious   character,  let  his  revered  pastor, 
the  late  Dr.  E.  S.  Gannett,  bear  witness :  — 


HISTORICAL   DISCOURSE.  1 55 

"  He  did  not  become  a  communicant  in  this  church  till  he  had 
settled  the  momentous  questions  on  which  the  soul's  peace  rests. 
He  read  religious  books,  and  thought  much  on  points  of  Christian 
evidence  and  Christian  doctrine.  He  was  a  believer  from  convic- 
tion. And  how  true  and  practical  was  his  faith,  we  saw,  not  only 
in  the  spotless  integrity  of  his  life,  the  blameless  consistency  of  his 
whole  course,  the  unchanged  temper  with  which  he  met  the 
perils  of  prosperity,  the  high  honor  and  the  generous  courtesy 
which  he  always  maintained,  but  also  in  the  submission  with 
which  he  received  the  terrible  blow  that,  two  years  and  a  half 
since,  deprived  him  of  her  who,  with  every  wifely  and  womanly 
virtue  adorning  her  character,  had  shared  with  him  the  earlier  trials 
and  the  later  responsibilities  of  life  ;  in  the  uncomplaining  spirit 
with  which  he  endured  the  sharp  pains  which  were  consuming  a 
vitality  that  resisted  them  to  the  last  moment ;  and  in  the  calm- 
ness with  which  he  anticipated  his  departure  from  all  the  pros- 
pects of  usefulness  that  had  opened  upon  him  ;  and,  what  was 
still  harder  to  bear,  from  them  who  seemed,  to  him  and  to  us,  to 
need  his  presence  in  the  household  of  which  he  had  become  sole 
head.  .  .  . 

"  Taken  though  he  was  in  the  midst  of  his  years,  he  lived  long 
enough  to  build  up  a  worthy  and  beautiful  character,  to  achieve  a 
noble  reputation,  to  leave  a  cherished  name,  and  to  instruct  us  by 
an  example  that  will  not  fade  out  of  their  remembrance  whose 
grief  at  his  loss  was  shown  by  such  a  signal  manifestation  on  the 
day  when  the  last  offices  were  paid  to  his  lifeless  body." 

In  connection  with  these  notices  of  members  of  the 
medical  profession,  let  me  refer  to  the  institution 
established  here  in  the  3^ear  1848  by  Dr.  Henry  G. 
Wilbur  for  the  care,  comfort,  training,  and  hygienic 
treatment  of  children  and  youth  of  defective  mental 
organization.  The  first  private  asylum  of  the  kind 
in  America,  it  soon  became  widely  known;  and,  under 
the  direction  of  its  original  org^anizer  and  his  accom- 
plished  successor,  the  President  of  the  day,  has  been 


156  BARRE   CENTENNIAL. 

sustained  and  commended  by  a  large  patronage  from 
almost  every  State  in  the  Union.  Its  situation,  build- 
ings, grounds,  and  appointments  of  every  kind,  pre- 
sent the  most  attractive  feature  of  our  village.  Hun- 
dreds  of  parents  made  heart-sick  by  the  coming  to 
them  of  children,  through  the  divine  mystery  of  hu- 
man creation,  with  all  the  faculties  necessary  for  self- 
direction  and  the  exercise  and  expression  of  thought 
feeble  or  wholly  wanting,  and  who  knew  not  what 
to  do,  either  to  relieve  their  burdened  affections  or 
rightly  to  "  order  the  child,"  have  here  found  a  happy 
solution  of  the  painful  problem.  For  they  have  had 
the  gratification,  not  only  of  seeing  the  imbecile 
tenderly  cared  for  as  to  the  health  of  his  bod}',  but 
also  of  witnessing  a  partial  removal,  in  many  cases, 
of  the  bandage  from  the  eyes  of  his  mind;  a  start- 
ing of  the  germs  of  intellectual  perception  and  activ- 
ity, and  even  a  surprising  development  of  the  mental 
and  moral  powers.  And  what  a  miracle  of  human- 
ity is  this! 

A  quarter  of  a  century  ago  or  more,  a  little  girl 
was  brought  to  the  asylum  for  the  blind  at  South 
Boston  who  could  neither  see  nor  hear  nor  smell 
nor  taste:  she  could  only  feel.  Touch  was  her  only 
medium  of  communication  with  the  outward  world. 
But  it  soon  became  evident  that,  pent  up  in  that  little 
cerebral  cave,  was  a  mind  with  various  faculties,  a 
soul  with  oferms  of  a  divine  and  immortal  life.  But 
how  to  get  at  it,  how  to  open  communication  with 
it,  how  to   cultivate  and  develop   it,  was  a  problem 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  I57 

which  seemed  utterly  insoluble  by  human  ingenuity. 
Yet,  by  the  help  of  God,  the  solution  was  found. 
Thought,  feeling,  desire  were  collected  at  this  little 
girl's  fingers'  ends,  and  there  met  the  intelligence  and 
love  which  sought  access  to  her  mind  and  heart.  It 
was  a  marvellous  achievement  of  physiological  sci- 
ence. I  do  not,  however,  depreciate  it  when  I  say 
that  here  has  been  achieved  a  grander  triumph.  For 
here  boys  and  girls  have  come  with  all  their  senses 
perfect,  but  connected  with  nothing  within,  telegraph- 
ing no  communication  to  or  fro,  reaching  inward  only 
to  dumb  inanition.  Was  there  a  mind  hid  away  there? 
Were  there  elements  out  of  which  a  mind  could  be 
formed?  Was  it  possible  to  find  a  wa}'  into  that  empty 
space,  to  pick  up  the  buried  germs  of  mental  faculty, 
if  such  there  were,  attach  them  to  the  delicate  wire  of 
some  sense,  and  thus  open  a  communication  between 
the  world  within  and  the  world  without? 

This  was  the  problem  which  the  institution  here, 
with  kindred  ones  in  other  lands,  has,  with  a  sublime 
faith,  attempted  to  solve;  and  the  result  has  been 
such  as  to  fill  all  observers  with  admiration.  A  work 
has  been  wrought  in  our  village  scarcely  less  won- 
derful than  the  creation  of  a  human  mind;  forcibly 
reminding  us  of  that  declaration  of  Jesus  :  "  He 
that  believeth  on  me,  the  works  that  I  do  shall  he 
do  also;  and  greater  works  than  these  shall 

HE    DO." 

Passing  down  from  the  lovely  eminence  on  which 
this    institution   stands   to   the    Common,   the    eye    is 


158  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

attracted  by  a  finely  proportioned  marble  monument 
erected  to  commemorate  the  patriotism  and  valor  of 
fifty-nine  brave  sons  of  the  town  who  fell  in  the  late 
civil  war.  It  is  a  sadly  grand  memento,  more  im- 
pressive than  funeral  oration,  more  inspiring  than 
song  of  victory.  Let  the  observer  pause  reveringly 
before  it,  and  renew  the  solemn  vow  faithfully  to 
maintain  what  they  died  to   secure. 

As  he  leaves  that  sacred  memorial,  let  the  visitor 
descend  the  eastern  slope,  and  there,  in  the  quiet  vale 
below,  let  him  enter  the  newly  consecrated  enclosure 
for  the  dead,  tranquil  as  a  summer's  evening,  where 
treasured  dust  is  kept  apart;  where  mourners,  moving 
with  measured  step,  soft  and  slow,  soliloquize  their 
sorrow;  where  the  frequent  tear  attests  a  riven  heart; 
and  where,  unto  the  listening  ear  of  faith,  comes  the 
inspiring  whisper:  "Why  seek  ye  the  living  among 
the  dead?     He  is  not  here,  but  is  risen! " 

Continuing  his  walk  in  the  same  valley,  he  will 
come,  in  one  direction,  to  a  cheerful  settlement  busy 
in  manufactures  of  various  sorts;  and,  in  the  other, 
to  the  spacious  Fair-grounds  and  hall  where  agricul- 
ture and  mechanic  arts  annually  exhibit  their  choicest 
products;  and  competitions  for  prizes,  trials  of  speed, 
the  inevitable  "  soap-man,"  a  twenty-score-pound 
cheese,  self-turning,  swains  and  lasses  dancing  on  the 
sward,  an  excellent  dinner  with  speeches  and  toasts 
but  no  cider,  make  up  a  gala-day  which  princes  might 
envy. 

But  our  visitor  must  be  getting  wear}',  and  begin- 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  I59 

ning  to  feel  that  sight-seeing,  like  garrulous  age,  is  a 
bore.     Let  him  have  rest. 

From  the  survey  v^hich  we  have  taken  of  our 
town,  two  or  three  characteristics  are  easily  deducible. 
First,  Enterprise.  This  has  been  strongly  marked  from 
the  beginning.  There  never  has  been  a  day  when  Barre 
was  a  dull,  lifeless  place,  looking  as  though  nothing 
were  going  on  and  the  people  were  all  "  waiting  for 
something  to  turn  up."  Something  has  always  been 
up  and  going  on.  The  brain  of  the  town  has  teemed 
with  projects  and  contrivances.  It  has  been  as  bus}'- 
as  its  hands.  Its  time  and  sentiment  have  not  been 
spent  in  bewailing  the  past.  It  has  steadily  and 
bravely,  even  under  many  discouragements,  kept  its 
face  to  the  future.  Enterprise  brought  our  fathers 
here  in  the  first  place.  They  left  their  homes  in  the 
older  and  more  populous  settlements  impelled  by  the 
spirit  of  enterprise.  And  the  spirit  which  brought 
them  hither  their  sons,  in  each  succeeding  generation, 
have  inherited.  Their  motto  has  been,  "  What  ought 
to  be  done,  can  be."  They  could  not  be  diverted  from 
a  purpose  by  obstacles.  What  were  obstacles  made 
for  but  to  be  overcome?  "  There  ought  to  be  a  turn- 
pike from  here  to  Princeton,"  some  one  said.  "  So 
there  ought,"  the  whole  town  answered.  And  it  was 
made.  "  We  ought  to  have  a  line  of  daily  stages 
over  that  turnpike  to  Boston,"  said  Seth  Holden. 
"  So  we  ought,"  said  enough  to  form  a  company  with 
capital    to    run    it.     And    it   was    done.      "  Before    I 


l6o  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

take  the  presidency  of  the  Boston  and  Worcester  Rail- 
road or  go  to  Congress,"  said  Genery  Twichell,  "  I 
want  to  drive  a  six-horse  stage-coach  with  twenty  pas- 
sengers daily  from  Worcester  to  Brattleborough,  via 
Barre."  Barre  answered,  "  Go  ahead,  and  we  will 
back  you!"  And  it  was  done.  How  can  we  get  a 
railroad  up  here  amidst  these  hills?  enterprise  has 
been  asking  these  twenty  years.  Every  year  or  two 
a  survey  of  some  new  route  has  been  made.  Money 
has  been  freely  subscribed.  Postponements  and  de- 
lays have  been  courageously  endured.  Determina- 
tion has  never  flagged.  The  spirit  of  prophecy  has 
been  bold  and  assuring.  Wh}^,  two  years  ago  I  was 
promised  a  delightful  trip  three  times  a  day,  if  I  chose, 
over  "  The  Central  Massachusetts  "  to  Barre  Common, 
this  very  summer!  I  did  not  come  by  that  route.  I 
missed  the  train !  But  we  have  one  railroad  com- 
pleted surely,  if  the  "  Central  "  is  not  —  "The  Boston, 
Barre,  and  Gardner.''  We  have  seen  its  advertise- 
ment in  all  the  papers  ever  so  long.  I  am  sorry  to 
say,  that  that  "  is  a  hard  road  to  travel."  I  wonder 
if  any  of  you  came  over  it  this  morning!  On  the 
whole,  the  most  satisfactory  way  of  reaching  this 
town  by  rail  yet  ascertained  —  the  committee  are  still 
hard  at  work  —  is  to  take  a  two-horse  wagon  at  Hub- 
bardston;  or,  as  an  alternative,  to  imagine  yourselves 
at  Barre  when  you  hear  the  conductor  cry,  "  The 
Plains!  "  At  any  rate,  you  may  as  well  get  out  there. 
"  You  might  go  farther  and  fare  worse."  But  enter- 
prise does  not  doubt.     A  railroad  is  sure  to  be  seen 


•    HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  '      l6l 

crossing  this  high  table-land  where  you  sit.  Every 
Barre  man  believes  it  ;  and,  being  a  Barre  man,  I 
believe  it. 

In  the  progress  of  my  discourse,  before  coming  to 
this  special  topic,  I  had  given  pretty  free  illustration 
of  the  enterprise  of  our  people  in  matters  of  business. 
One  or  two  examples  of  a  somewhat  different  kind 
ought  not  to  be  omitted.  The  mention  of  them  is 
due  to  the  truth  of  history,  although  we  do  not  claim 
for  them  the  gratitude  of  posterity. 

During  the  war  of  1812,  quite  a  number  of  our 
wide-awake  citizens  were  seized  with  a  strange  pas- 
sion for  finding  new  and  untried  wa3^s  across  the  line 
into  Canada. 

The)'  made  paths  through  the  woods  of  Maine; 
they  went  in  wagons;  they  went  in  sleighs;  they 
went  in  pungs;  they  went  on  horseback,  and  possibly 
on  foot.  There  was  something  mysterious,  spoken 
of  in  whispers,  about  their  movements.  Their  "  ways 
were  dark  "  if  "  their  tricks  were  not  vain."  It  was 
always  observed  that  when  they  returned  from  these 
distant  journeyings  certain  descriptions  of  dry  goods 
became  cheaper  in  the  market;  certain  ladies  appeared 
in  new  gowns;  a  certain  clergyman,  being  a  federalist 
in  politics,  shone  out  in  new  broadcloth  and  his  wife 
in  a  fresh  silk.  These  latter,  of  course,  were  presents; 
and  if  a  minister  received  a  present  from  one  of  his 
parishioners,  who  will  maintain  that  it  would  have 
been  polite  in  him  to  ask,  whether  the  duty  had  been 
paid. 


1 62  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

Such  was  the  hostility  to  the  war  and  the  adminis- 
tration, that  proceedings  of  this  kind  were  winked  at 
and  even  applauded.  Some  of  the  respectable  mer- 
chants of  Boston  were  in  collusion^  with  the  smart  and 
venturesome  smugglers  of  Barre. 

Here  is  another  example.  Certain  British  officers, 
confined  as  prisoners  of  war  in  Worcester  jail,  effected 
an  escape  one  night;  and  the  next  morning,  "by 
hook  or  crook,"  or  the  virtue  of  "  British  gold,"  they 
were  quietly  eating  their  breakfast  at  the  house  of  one 
of  our  respectable  citizens;  and  after  waiting  a  week 
or  two  in  an  unsuspected  place  of  concealment,  were 
spirited  away  by  some  of  the  daring  fellows,  who 
knew  neither  treason  nor  contraband,  over  the  new 
roads  they  had  found  to  the  British  possessions  in 
America. 

Still  another  example  is  brought  to  my  recollection 
by  the  recent  discussions  of  Congress  and  the  political 
press  on  the  question  of  Inflation.  It  will  be  seen  that 
this  is  no  new  question.  About  half  a  century  ago 
we  had  a  number  of  shrewd  and  brilliant  inflationists 
in  this  town.  One  of  our  leading  citizens,  who  was 
no  mere  theorist,  succeeded  in  putting  a  good  deal  of 
his  irredeemable  paper  in  circulation.  But  his  suc- 
cess was  his  ruin.  It  involved  him  in  difficulties 
which  compelled  him  to  leave  the  place  and  make 
his  abode  for  a  term  of  years  in  Charlestown!  Here 
he  was  engaged  in  the  service  of  the  Commonwealth. 
His  duties  were  laborious  and  confining,  but  he  per- 
formed them  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  government,  and 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  163 

on  his  discharge  returned  to  spend  the  remnant  of  his 
days  in  the  bracing  air  of  his  native  hills.  Towards 
the  last  of  life  he  grew  melancholy;  tried  to  get  a 
little  comfort  out  of  the  Bible  and  his  ministers  prayers 
by  his  bedside,  but  died  broken  in  body  and  mind, 
protesting  that  inflation  had  ruined  him.  If  his  fate 
shall  serve  "  to  point  a  moral,"  let  us  be  thankful 
that  he  did  not  live  wholly  in  vain. 

A  second  characteristic  is  a  certain  liveliness  of  spirit^ 
inclining  to  joviality  and  f7in.  A  churl  could  never 
have  been  comfortable  in  this  atmosphere  fifty  years 
ago.  A  mean  man  was  despised  ;  and  a  mean  man  was 
one  who  never  laughed,  who  did  not  stand  up  square 
to  an  agreement,  or  to  his  share  in  the  cost  of  any  so- 
cial pleasure,  or  in  the  support  of  any  good  institution. 
The  men  found  a  remedy  for  fatigue  from  hard  work 
in  a  little  jollification.  Merriment  was  victuals  and 
drink  to  them.  They  enjoyed  a  practical  joke  amaz- 
ingly. A  good-natured  trick  played  off  by  one  upon 
another  would  perform  much  more  than  its  original 
service:  the  story  of  it  would  travel  the  rounds  of  the 
neighborhood,  and  provoke  laughter  wherever  it  went. 
There  were  some  families  who  were  full  of  mother- 
wit,  and  in  whom  this  turn  for  jollity  was  innate; 
conspicuously  the  Holdens  and  Bacons.  The  mem- 
bers vied  with  each  other  in  wit-contests.  The  sally 
and  repartee  were  quick  and  sharp,  and  created  great 
amusement.  Almost  everybody  had  a  good  story, 
and  there  was  a  good  story  about  almost  everybody. 
Thus  an  aspect  of  cheer  was  exhibited  quite  generally. 


164  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

The  taverns  were  the  evening  resorts  of  jokers  and 
story-tellers  as  well  as  of  men  who  had  business  to 
transact,  being,  for  such,  an  exchange. 

All  this  flavored  social  intercourse,  of  which  there 
was  not  a  little.  Small  tea-parties,  beginning  in  the 
middle  of  the  afternoon  and  ending  at  sundown,  were 
of  frequent  occurrence  (I  speak  of  fifty  or  sixty  3''ears 
ago) ;  and  from  harvest  through  the  winter,  suppers 
were  given  by  farmers  to  as  many  as  their  tables 
would  accommodate,  at  which  were  served  the  best 
dishes  the  careful  housewife  could  provide,  rich,  sub- 
stantial, savory,  and  abundant.  Balls  at  farmers' 
houses  were  common  for  the  young  people,  the  long 
kitchen,  lighted  by  a  blazing  fire  and  innumerable 
tallow-candles,  serving  as  a  dancing-hall;  while  a 
white-haired  black  man  of  my  own  name,  good  old 
Dick,  limbered  his  elbow  for  the  music.  When  the 
occasion  was  intended  to  be  more  than  usually  brill- 
iant, the  dancing-master,  Mr.  John  White,  was  em- 
ployed instead  of  Dick.  In  the  latter  case,  each  male 
guest  paid  fifty  cents  and  in  the  former  twenty-five 
cents!  Certainly  not  an  extravagant  entertainment. 
Once  or  twice  each  winter  there  was  a  rather  aristo- 
cratic ball  at  one  of  the  public  houses,  to'  which  the 
more  opulent  and  stylish  families  of  neighboring 
towns  were  invited.  This  was  conducted  on  a  liberal 
scale,  and  had  an  air  of  refinement  and  even  elegance 
which  you  of  to-da}^  could  not  easily  excel.  Besides 
the  balls,  there  came  off,  at  least  once  in  the  season, 
a  glorious  sleighing-party,  composed  of  thirty  or  forty 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  165 

couples,  who  drove  to  Hardwick  or  Petersham,  pos- 
sibly to  Rutland,  and  there  regaled  themselves  with 
a  hot  supper,  and  danced  or  played  cards  to  a  late 
hour;  careful  only  to  get  home  before  morning.  How 
pleasant  to  affections  which  never  grow  old  to  recall 
the  charming  scenes,  the  innocent  joys,  the  youthful 
witcheries,  the  dear  companions  of  those  by-gone 
days!  How  redolent  of  delight  the  memory  of  out- 
door sports  of  men  and  boys,  in  the  afternoon  of  a 
holiday,  —  base-ball,  quoits,  trials  of  strength  by  lift- 
ing, foot-races!  And,  ah!  let  tears  moisten  the  recol- 
lection of  the  husking-party  on  the  barn-floor,  the  red 
ear,  the  bashful  protest,  the  hot  chase,  the  articulate 
result! 

"  These  were  thy  charms,  sweet  village  !  sports  like  these 
With  sweet  succession  taught  e'en  toil  to  please." 

And  who,  repeating  these  lines,  does  not  respond  to 
these  other  verses  of  the  same  charming  poet?  — 

"  To  me  more  clear,  congenial  to  my  heart. 
One  native  charm,  than  all  the  gloss  of  art. 
Spontaneous  joys  where  nature  has  its  play, 
The  soul  adopts,  and  owns  their  first-born  sway ; 
Lightly  they  frolic  o'er  the  vacant  mind, 
Unenvied,  unmolested,  unconfined." 

A  third  characteristic  is  local  pride  and  ambition, 
or  a  certain  esprit  de  corps  animating  the  people.  I  am 
acquainted  with  no  town  where  this  feature  is  (or  was 
in  my  early  life)  so  observable.  It  grew  up  here  spon- 
taneously. Always  to  its  sons  Barre  was  a  great  town 
to  hail   from.     If  anywhere   in   the  United  States   or 


1 66  BARRE   CENTENNIAL. 

Canada  a  genuine  Barre  man  were  asked,  "  Where  is 
Barre?"  his  face  reddened  with  indignation  at  the 
question.  Other  towns  in  the  neighborhood  were  well 
enough  in  their  way.  Petersham  was  indeed  beauti- 
ful for  situation;  and  our  little  sister,  New  Brain- 
tree,  was  fair  and  fruitful.  As  for  Dana  on  the  west  — 
now  alive  and  thriving  —  and  Oakham  on  the  east,  it 
was  a  proverb,  "out  of  this  world  into"  either  of  those 
places.  And  how  we  laughed  at  the  primitive  ways, 
the  small  reckonings,  the  staid  and  sober  manners,  of 
occasional  visitors  from  "  below."  We  regarded  them 
as  belonging  to  an  inferior  race  or  an  anterior  age, 
and  felt  that  if  they  would  only  stay  long  enough  we 
could  improve  them,  and  set  them  forward  a  genera- 
tion or  two.  This  spirit  still  lives.  I  really  think 
that  if,  to-day,  it  were  decided  by  the  General 
Court  that  the  State-house  should  be  removed  to 
the  interior  of  the  State,  Barre  would  have  a  peti- 
tion signed  by  every  legal  voter  by  to-morrow 
night,  praying  that  it  might  be  placed  here  as  alto- 
gether the  most  eligible  spot,  infinitely  surpassing 
any  other,  and  affirming  that  by  trigonometrical  meas- 
urement a  certain  stake  on  Robinson's  hill  marked 
the  exact  centre  of  the  Commonwealth!  Now,  there 
may  be  a  little  romance  and  exaggeration  in  this  vir- 
tuous self-estimation,  but  it  is  genuine.  There  is  no 
personal  glorification  in  it;  not  this  or  that  man  or 
woman,  but  the  iown,  is  exalted.  You  may  say  what 
you  please  of  any  man  and  nobody  will  be  offended 
to  the  point  of  knocking  you  down;   but  if  you  touch 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  167 

the  good  name  of  the  town,  wo  be  to  you!  We  do 
not  mind  a  little  brag;  and  so,  being  a  Barre  man,  I 
ask.  Is  there  another  town,  of  no  larger  population,  in 
the  Commonwealth,  that  could  get  up  a  "  Centennial  " 
on  such  a  scale  as  this?  When  we  set  out  to  do  a 
thing  we  do  it.  Why,  do  you  remember  what  hap- 
pened here  in  the  year  1840?  It  was  the  year  of  the 
Harrison  campaign,  in  which  "  log-cabins  "  and  "  hard 
cider  "  were  potent  arguments.  The  democrats  were 
awake  early  to  the  duties  of  the  hour,  and  determined 
on  a  grand  party-celebration  of  the  Fourth  of  July, 
and  to  have  a  first-class  orator.  In  due  time  it  was 
announced  that  George  Bancroft,  the  historian,  and 
collector  of  Boston,  would  deliver  the  oration.  It 
was  expected,  of  course,  that  he  would  carry  all  before 
him.  No  democrat  dreamed  that  the  whigs  would 
have  a  celebration  of  their  own.  But  the  whiof  leaders 
got  their  heads  together,  and  agreed  that  if  they  could 
secure  a  certain  gentleman  as  orator  they  would  cel- 
ebrate too,  and  spoil  the  fun  of  the  other  side.  Ac- 
cordingly, in  a  quiet  way,  a  committee  of  one,  Mr. 
James  W.  Jenkins,  made  a  hasty  journey  to  Washing- 
ton, and  on  his  return  it  was  announced  in  the  papers 
that  there  would  be  a  whig  celebration  of  the  Fourth 
of  July  in  Barre,  for  Central  Massachusetts;  and  that 
Daniel  Webster  would  pronounce  the  oration! 
The  democrats  were  crest-fallen;  the  whigs  elated 
and  crowing.  The  day  came.  It  was  for  splendor 
the  queen  of  days.  In  the  early  morning  carriages 
began  to   pour  into   the   village  from  all   directions. 


I05  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

They  came  ten,  twenty,  and  thirty  miles  to  see  and 
hear  the  most  illustrious  statesman  and  orator  of  the 
land.  Every  house  was  filled  with  visitors  and  all 
the  town  astir.  Bands  of  music,  whig  and  democrat, 
filled  the  air  with  patriotic  strains.  Processions  were 
formed  by  either  party  and  marched  to  their  respec- 
tive tents.  Poor  democrats!  were  they  not  happy 
when  they  were  quietly  seated  out  of  sight,  six  hun- 
dred all  told,  as  the  mischievous  whig  boys,  who 
made  the  count,  reported  ?  The  whigs  marched  three 
thousand  strong,  a  man  for  every  plate.  Charles 
Allen,  then  in  his  prime,  presided,  and  led  off  in  a 
short  pithy  speech  of  singular  beauty  and  power,  and 
closed  by  introducing  the  orator  of  the  day.  Mr. 
Webster  rose  with  a  never-surpassed  dignity  of  pres- 
ence to  meet  the  enraptured  greetings  of  thousands 
who  had  never  seen  him  before.  He  was  in  his  full 
vigor  of  body  and  mind,  and  looked  the  demigod.  He 
had  no  notes;  but  proceeded  for  nearly  two  hours, 
with  that  directness,  cogency  of  argument,  breadth  of 
survey,  and  grandeur  of  rhetorical  expression,  which 
characterized  his  noblest  efforts.  Expectation  was 
fully  satisfied.  The  day  was  a  signal  triumph  for 
Barre.  The  newspapers,  far  and  near,  were  full  of  it. 
"  The  town  had  covered  itself  with  glory."  It  was 
Saturday.  Mr.  Webster  remained  over  Sunda}'',  at- 
tending the  Unitarian  church  in  the  morning  and  the 
Evangelical  in  the  afternoon. 

This  was  Barre's  greatest  performance.     Its  effect 
on   the   election   was    not    of  much    consequence    in 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  169 

Massachusetts,  the  majority  being  so  decidedly  on  the 
whig  side;  but  to  every  son  of  the  town,  as  showing 
what  Barre  could  do  when  aroused,  it  was  of  much 
moment.  The  gibes  of  the  Avhigs  at  their  opponents 
were  generally  received  with  good  nature,  and  re- 
turned with  such  retaliatory  compliments  as  they 
were  capable  of. 

Having  glanced  at  the  prominent  characteristics  of 
our  town,  and  at  many  of  the  more  important  events 
and  incidents  of  its  history;  having  also  called  up 
before  you  the  images  of  those  ruling  spirits  who  con- 
tributed largely  to  the  moulding  of  its  character,  I 
leave  the  unfinished  tale  to  the  annalist  of  1974! 
What  the  present  generation  is,  —  its  pursuits,  the 
ideas  that  bear  sway  in  it,  its  devotion  to  science  and 
art,  its  boundless  philanthropy,  its  zeal  in  education, 
its  freedom  in  religion,  —  is  so  fully  disclosed*  in  our 
various  literature  that  no  sfreat  labor  of  research  will 
then  be  requisite.  Whilst  he  will  discover  much  in 
our  social  and  political  life  to  call  forth  animadver- 
sion, —  much  extravagance,  profligacy,  corruption,  and 
crime,  —  he  will  perceive,  at  the  same  time,  that  this 
is  not  an  idle  generation;  that  it  is  not  dozing  in  un- 
ambitious content;  that  in  all  departments  of  thought 
and  activity  it  is  reaching  forward  eagerly;  that,  hav- 
ing destroyed  Slavery  at  a  terrible  cost  of  blood  and 
treasure,  it  is  now  solemnly  demanding,  through  the 
leading  organs  of  its  opinion  and  influence,  the  ex- 
tinction of  abuses  in  government,  a  higher  style  of 


170  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

character  in  public  men,  greater  independence  of 
party-dictation,  more  strenuous  endeavors  for  raising 
the  standard  of  intelligence  and  morality  throughout 
the  land,  and,  finally,  the  granting  to  Woman  all  the 
social  rights  and  opportunities  claimed  by  her,  to  the 
end  that,  possessing  equal  advantages  for  education 
and  the  use  of  her  talents  with  the  other  sex,  she 
may  advance  pari  passu  w^ith  it  in  all  that  gives 
beauty  and  strength  to  personal  character,  or  that 
ministers  knowledge,  virtue,  and  grace  to  society. 
Thus  it  will  be  manifest  to  him  that  the  Present  is  not 
wanting  in  benign  and  gratifying  auguries. 

With  all  modesty,  yet  without  fear,  we  submit  our- 
selves and  our  works  to  the  calm  judgment  of  that 
far-off  reviewer.  When  he  shall  come  to  walk 
amongst  the  grassy  mounds  that  will  cover  our  dust, 
and  to  scrape  the  moss  from  our  gravestones  that  he 
may  read  our  names  and  epitaphs,  let  him  know 
this:  that  we,  of  this  generation,  lived  with  faith  in 
God  and  in  man,  —  in  the  Infinite  compassions  of  the 
One  and  the  measureless  possibilities  of  the  other; 
that  we  rejoiced  in  the  nurture  of  the  Christian  Church, 
and  held  in  reverence  that  Divine  Word  which  is 
"the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever;"  that,  not- 
withstanding any  materialistic  tendencies  of  philo- 
sophical speculation,  we  constantly  affirmed,  in  the 
words  of  Jesus,  that  "  God  is  spirit,"  not  matter;  that 
man,  being  the  child  of  God,  as  he  bears  "  the  image 
of  the  earthly  shall  also  bear  the  image  of  the  heav- 
enly; "  that  eternity  is  the  measure  of  his  existence 


HISTORICAL   DISCOURSE.  I7I 

and  not  time;  and  that  "all  things,"  whether  on  the 
earth  or  under  the  earth  or  above  the  earth,  "  work 
together  for  the  good  of  them  that  love  God." 

Advance,  ye  generations  that  are  to  occupy  our 
places!  Come,  with  your  ampler  knowledge  of  nature 
and  of  the  Divinity  that  breathes  through  all  its  parts; 
with  your  fuller  experience  of  the  wonder-working 
providence  of  God;  with  your  worthier  conceptions 
of  man  and  his  destined  end;  come,  and  enter  into 
our  labors  and  glorif}^  your  inheritance  by  whatso- 
ever 3'ou  can  add  to  its  riches.  What  fields  shall 
ripen  for  your  harvesting  in  the  vast  unexplored 
domains  of  science;  what  improvements  in  the  arts 
that  utilize  nature  or  minister  to  the  love  of  beauty 
shall  enhance  the  comfort  and  happiness  of  your  life; 
what  truths  in  the  realms  of  philosophy  and  of  faith 
not  dreamed  of  by  us  shall  reveal  themselves  to  3'Our 
apprehension,  we  vainly  strive  to  imagine.  But  all 
our  reflection  on  the  past  assures  us  that  your  course 
will  be  marked  by  great  advantages  beyond  our  lot 
through  the  increase  of  knowledge  and  virtue;  and 
that  whoever  shall  stand  in  this  place  a  hundred  years 
hence  will  thankfully  trace  the  manifold  proof  of  a 
marvellous  progress,  —  our  fairest  visions  more  than 
realized,  our  boldest  imaginations  far  outrun.  And 
as  we  are  now  showing  unto  the  children  what  we 
"  have  heard  and  known  and  our  fathers  have  told 
us,"  we  enjoin  it  as  a  sacred  duty  on  you,  our  suc- 
cessors, that  on  the  17th  of  June,  1974,  assembling 
yourselves   together,  you  take  up  and   carry  on  the 


172  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

story,  so  that  "  to  the  generations  to  come  may  be 
known  the  praises  of  the  Lord,  and  his  strength,  and 
his  wonderful  works  that  he  hath  done." 


"  Let  children  hear  the  mighty  deeds 
Which  God  performed  of  old  ; 
Which  in  our  younger  years  we  saw, 
And  which  our  fathers  told. 

"  Our  lips  shall  tell  them  to  our  sons, 
And  they  again  to  theirs, 
That  generations  yet  unborn 
May  teach  them  to  their  heirs. 

"  Thus  shall  they  learn  in  God  alone 
Their  hope  securely  stands, 
That  they  may  ne'er  forget  his  works, 
But  practise  his  commands." 


ACKNOWLEDGMENT. 

The  author  of  the  foregoing  discourse  gratefully  acknowledges  the 
careful  assiduity  of  Edwin  Woods,  Esq.,  in  furnishing  for  his  use  mat- 
ters of  record  and  many  other  facts  of  interest.  Without  such  aid  the 
discourse  could  scarcely  have  been  written. 


HISTORICAL    DISCOURSE.  I73 

Note  to  Page  6i. 
THE    REV.   JONATHAN    MAYHEW,    D.D. 

It  is  with  a  just  pride  that  we  are  able  to  associate  the  name  of  this  dis- 
tinguished divine  and  patriot  with  the  history  of  our  town,  how  much 
soever  the  difficulties  in  the  church,  which  were  the  occasion  of  his  coming 
here,  and  the  personal  consequences  to  himself,  are  to  be  deplored.  A 
single  incident  connected  with  his  visit;  like  "the  great  matter  which  a 
little  fire  kindleth,"  is  of  historic  importance. 

It  is  generally  understood  that  the  idea  of  i\\e  union  of  all  t/ie  colotiics 
for  the  maintenance  of  their  liberties  was  first  suggested  by  Dr.  Majhew, 
and  that  it  came  to  his  mind  while  he  was  reflecting  on  the  commuuion  of 
the  churches.  It  is  of  peculiar  interest  to  us  that  the  idea  arose  when  he 
was  meditating  in  his  bed  on  the  duty  he  was  to  perform  during  the  fol- 
lowing week  as  a  member  of  the  council  to  be  holden  in  this  f  lace  in  the 
case  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Fri7ik.  This  is  told  in  the  letter  which  follows  ad- 
dressed to  James  Otis  :  — 

"  Lord's-Day  Morning,  June  Sth,  1766. 

"  Sir, — To  a  good  man  all  time  is  holy  enough;  and  none  is  too  holy 
to  do  good  or  to  think  upon  it.  Cultivating  a  good  understanding  and 
hearty  friendship  between  these  colonies  appears  to  me  to  be  so  necessary 
a  part  of  prudence  and  good  policy  that  no  favorable  opportunity  for  that 
purpose  should  be  omitted.     I  think  such  an  one  now  presents. 

"  Would  it  not  be  proper  and  decorous  for  our  assembly  to  send  circulars 
to  all  the  rest,  on  the  late  repeal  of  the  Stamp  Act  and  the  present  favor- 
able aspect  of  affairs .''  —  letters  conceived  at  once  in  terms  of  friendship  and 
regard,  of  loyalty  to  the  king,  filial  affection  towards  the  parent  country, 
and  expressing  a  desire  to  cement  a7id perpetuate  union  among  ourselves, 
by  all  laudable  methods.  .  .  .  Pursuing  this  course,  or  never  losing  sight 
of  it,  may  be  of  the  greatest  importance  to  the  colonies,  perhaps  the  only 
means  of  perpetuating  their  liberties.  .  .  .  You  have  heard  of  the  com- 
fnunion  of  churches,  and  I  am  to  set  out  to-morrrow  morning  for  Rutland 
[District,  now  Barre],  to  assist  at  an  ecclesiastical  council.  While  I  was 
thinking  of  this  in  my  bed  the  great  use  and  importance  of  a  communion 
of  colonies  appeared  to  me  in  a  strong  light;  which  led  me  immediately  to 
set  down  these  hints  to  transmit  to  you.  Not  knowing  but  the  general 
court  may  be  prorogued  or  dissolved  before  my  return,  or  my  having  an 
opportunity  to  speak  with  you,  I  now  give  them,  that  you  may  make  such 
use  of  them  as  you  think  proper,  or  none  at  all." 

There  was  a  sad  termination  to  this  visit  of  Dr.  Mayhew.  His  laborious 
duties  in  the  council,  with  the  heat  and  fatigue  of  the  journey,  induced  an 
illness  from  which  he  never  recovered,  his  death  in  the  full  beauty  and 
glory  of  his  manhood  occurring  in  about  four  weeks  after  his  return.  No 
death  could  have  been  the  cause  of  a  profounder  sorrow  to  the  friends 
of  liberty,  for  so  important  was  his  influence  regarded  that  Robert 
Treat  Paine  called  him  "The  Father  of  Civil  and  Religious  Liberty  in 
America." 

The  measure  recommended  by  Dr.  Mayhew  was  deemed  premature,  and 
therefore  was  not,  at  that  time,  adopted.  But  scarcely  had  two  years 
elapsed  before  a  circular  was  sent  to  all  the  colonies  of  similar  purport. 


[74  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 


After  the  Discourse,  the  choir  sang  the  Centennial 
Hymn. 

The  delivery  of  the  address  occupied  two  hours  and 
twenty  minutes.  It  was  listened  to  with  close  attention  and 
appreciation ;  and  the  countenances  of  many  told,  better 
than  words  could  do,  how  faithfully  were  cherished  the 
memories  of  other  days,  and  of  ancestors  and  kindred  who 
were  brought  back  to  recollection. 

After  the  singing  of  the  Ode  by  the  choir,  the  audience 
standing,  the  assembly  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  Mar- 
shal and  his  assistants,  find  a  recess  for  an  hour  was 
announced  for  the  Collation.  The  prompt  and  orderly 
manner  in  which  this  was  served,  and  the  quality  and 
quantity  of  the  supply,  elicited  expressions  of  satisfaction 
from  all  sources  ;  and  it  was  a  gratification  to  the  Committee 
to  feel  that,  through  the  careful  consideration  and  manage- 
ment of  the  Dinner  Committee,  the  character  of  the  town 
for  substantial  hospitality  had  been  so  handsomely  main- 
tained. 

Though  a  severe  shower  delayed  the  resumption  of  order 
and  quiet  in  the  tent  for  nearly  an  hour,  yet,  as  soon  as  the 
ceasing  of  the  noise  of  the  rain  enabled  the  voice  to  be 
heard,  the  Band  having  rendered  their  music,  the  Presi- 
dent announced  the  exercises  of  the  afternoon,  which 
were  resumed  according  to  the  programme,  and  may  be 
found  in  the  following  pages  as  the  manuscripts  of  the 
speakers  and  the  science  of  the  phonographer  have  pre- 
served them. 


EXERCISES    OF    THE    AFTERNOON. 


POEM. 

By  Charles  Brimblecom,  Esq. 

On  yesternight,  in  yonder  sacred  tower 

The  clock  struck  twelve,  and  in  that  starlit  hour 

Of  midnight,  rising,  swelling,  fading  fell 

The  pensive  music  of  that  sweet-voiced  bell 

On  the  calm  air,  tolling  a  parting  knell. 

As  the  soft  stealing  echoes  gently  thrilled 

Night's  blue  dome,  the  expiring  breath  was  stilled 

Of  a  century  of  time. 

As  the  last  chime  o'er  seas  aerial  flew, 

And  its  last  ripple  faint  and  fainter  grew, 

Until  the  throb  which  the  deep  silence  broke 

Again  was  still,  and  it  no  longer  woke 

The  softest  murmur  in  our  listening  ears. 

Hushed  were  the  voices  of  a  hundred  years. 

All,  all,  which  woke,  on  every  hill  and  plain, 

The  glorious  echoes  of  labor's  grand  refrain  ; 

That  leaped  in  accents  hoarse  from  passion's  throat, 

Or  softly  flowed  in  lovers'  whispered  note  ; 

Which  in  devotion  lifted  up  the  prayer 

In  solemn  pleading  for  the  Maker's  care  ; 

Which  burst  in  joy  from  youth's  hilarious  morn, 

Or  sobbed  in  sorrow  when  the  heart  was  torn  ; 

Whose  wailing  cry  pierced  through  the  heavy  air 

As  hope's  bright  ray  was  shadowed  by  despair ; 

Which  rung  with  shouts  when  bloody  fields  were  won. 

And  patriots  saw  the  rise  of  freedom's  sun  ; 


176  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

Which  bubbled  up  in  orgies  dark  and  drear, 

When  blear-eyed  ribalds  lingered  o'er  their  cheer ; 

In  busy  life,  in  every  hamlet  wrought, 

Peaceful  or  stormy,  full  of  meaning  fraught ; 

Enamoured  all  with  music,  which  inspires 

The  air  which  murmurs  from  a  thousand  lyres  ; 

The  voice  of  pi'ophet,  patriot,  and  sage, 

Of  rosy  youth  and  venerable  age  ; 

Mystic  voices,  that  through  the  stilly  night 

Steal  o'er  the  senses  with  a  calm  delight ; 

All,  all  of  earth  and  of  revolving  spheres 

That  sung  their  anthems  through  a  hundred  years, 

Were  hushed  in  silence  !     Silence,  deep,  profound, 

Shall  hold  them  ever  as  by  giant  bound. 

Yet  memory  brings  to  our  delighted  ears 

The  changeful  music  of  the  bygone  years  ; 

Enraptured  thought  her  kindling  touch  inspires 

As  her  light  fingers  sweep  the  trembling  wires. 

A  hundred  years !  a  sand-speck  on  the  shore  ; 

A  bubble  floating  in  the  air ;  no  more  ; 

A  single  drop  of  glistening  morning  dew  ; 

A  passing  cloud  that  on  the  light  wind  flew  ; 

A  breath  ;  a  shadow  on  the  dial  thrown  ; 

A  fleeting  thought  we  scarce  can  call  our  own  ; 

But  in  such  thoughts  combined  we  e'er  shall  trace 

All  our  knowledge,  all  wisdom  of  the  race  ; 

And  ever,  by  the  dial's  pregnant  shade, 

Mankind  have  highest  calculations  made  ; 

That  breath  of  air  to  some  being  brought 

The  life  and  vigor  which  the  sick  man  sought ; 

That  passing  cloud,  conveying  wealth  untold. 

Dropped  its  rich  treasure  on  the  parching  mould  ; 

That  glistening  dew-drop  of  the  morning  hour 

Painted  with  beauty  some  opening  flower; 

That  bubble,  bursting  in  the  noontide  sun, 

Charmed  youth's  bright  eye,  —  and  all  its  duty  done  ; 

And  formed  of  sand,  this  orb  of  ours  to-day, 

Majestic  on  in  its  imperial  way, 


POEM.  177 

Mid  shining  worlds,  unnumbered,  moves  apace, 
Holding  high  converse  on  its  revolving  race. 
Great  Century !  in  the  dead  past  lying, 
Dead,  yet  immortal  art,  and  undying  ; 
Voiceless,  yet  from  thy  deep  silence  reaching 
Onward,  ever,  with  resistless  teaching  ; 
Thy  light  extinguished,  thy  refulgent  glory 
Still  emblazons  all  thy  wondrous  story. 

With  rapt  delight  would  we  pause,  and  here 
Recount  the  splendors  of  thy  gi'eat  career; 
The  noble  past  unveil,  and  faintly  trace 
With  simple  words  the  progress  of  the  race  ; 
With  hearts  ablaze,  a  grateful  tribute  pay 
To  those  high  spirits  of  another  day, 
Whose  genius  liglits  the  pathway  of  the  past, 
And  o'er  the  world  shall  e'er  a  radiance  cast. 
But  Time's  swift  current  warns  us  to  desist ; 
The  fascinations  of  that  field  resist ; 
Plume  our  pinions  for  a  lower  flight, 
Circling  o'er  Barre,  she  our  central  light. 
And  here  outspread  what  beauties  we  behold  ! 
What  marvels  have  been  wrought,  changes  untold! 
No  more  Wachusett,  from  its  hoary  height. 
Looks  down  on  forests  dense,  and  dark  as  night ; 
Within  whose  gloomy  depths  no  sunlight  gleams 
To  flash  in  beauty  from  their  myriad  streams ; 
Within  whose  dark  embrace  dread  silence  broods, 
And  Nature  lingers  in  her  sullen  moods  ; 
Within  whose  covert  lurks  the  beast  of  prey, 
The  wily  savage  more  fearful  far  than  they ; 
No  more  dark  forests  and  the  chill  morass 
Distil  foul  miasm,  and  from  Nature's  glass 
Pour  fetid  horrors,  and  in  gases  dense 
Spreading  their  fevers,  breeding  pestilence. 

The  brave  Caucasian,  sweeping  towards  the  West, 
Over  these  hills  his  empire  early  pressed  ; 
Severed  the  forest,  dispelled  the  dusky  shade, 
23 


178  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

Solitude  disrobed,  and  sweet  convert  made 
To  life  and  home  in  loveliness  arrayed. 

A  hundred  hills,  to  the  enchanted  view. 
Kissed  by  the  sunshine  and  by  morning  dew, 
Instinct  with  life,  with  swelling  breasts  arise. 
With  smiling  glance  salute  the  arching  skies  ; 
Their  fertile  fields  with  lustrous  beauty  glow, 
A  grateful  tribute  bring,  with  wealth  o'erflow. 

When  the  light  with  radiance  robed  the  hills. 
With  brilliance  sparkled  in  their  hundred  rills, 
The  savage  beast  its  ancient  haunts  forsook. 
To  deeper  shades  its  rapid  steps  betook  ; 
Shuddering  with  terror  at  the  light  of  day, 
To  its  dim  caves  it  swiftly  slunk  away. 

The  Indian  too,  oh,  whither  has  he  fled? 

To  wandering  life  and  to  the  forest  wed, 

By  forms  untrammelled,  his  unbending  mind 

Free  as  the  air,  untaught  as  flowing  wind, 

By  arms  unconquered,  his  natui-e,  howe'er  rude, 

Defiant,  proud,  his  spirit  unsubdued, 

To  commerce  yields,  and  the  heroic  braves 

Leave  their  hunting-grounds  and  their  fathers'  graves. 

Not  long  they  live  the  hapless  day  to  mourn 

When  from  these  happy  regions  they  are  torn  ; 

Each,  as  he  goes,  with  gloomy  joy  retires. 

Soon  the  last  remnant  of  the  tribe  expires. 

Haply  his  spirit  flies  to  seek  his  I'ace, 

With  them  to  dwell  and  follow  still  the  chase. 

And  Peace,  sweet  Peace,  fair  goddess  of  the  train, 
O'er  these  fair  hills  established  her  mild  reign  : 
With  sweeping  glance  the  enraptured  eye  will  scan 
The  mighty  triumphs  she  has  won  for  man. 
To  paint  the  picture's  beyond  the  power  of  art ; 
The  fairest  forms  are  traced  upon  the  heart. 
The  secret  tablets  he  alone  shall  view 
Who  is  to  home,  truth,  love,  and  nature  true. 


POEM.  179 


When  France,  her  arms,  in  former  times,  sent  forth 

To  bear  her  lilies  to  the  distant  North, 

And  there  her  power,  her  empire  to  maintain. 

O'er  haughty  Albion  new  conquests  still  to  gain  ; 

France,  with  all  her  glory,  all  her  pride. 

With  savage  men  and  savage  tribes  allied, 

Poured  barb'rous  war  on  all  her  foes  around, 

With  sudden  carnage  often  strewed  the  ground. 

No  age  or  sex  the  savage  foeman  spared. 

But  all  alike  the  treacherous  butchery  shared  ; 

The  cry  for  mercy  thrilled  the  very  air  ; 

The  white-winged  angel  did  not  wander  there. 

'Twas  then  a  Barre,  reared  in  humble  life, 

With  motives  high  enlisted  for  the  strife  ; 

Well  might  the  cry  which  swept  across  the  wave 

His  heart  to  pity  move,  his  arm  to  save  ; 

W  ell  might  ambition's  fires  within  have  burned. 

For  its  rewards  his  heart  vv^ith  fondness  yearned  ; 

Ancestral  voices  to  his  memoiy  brought 

The  wrongs  of  France  to  fleeing  Huguenot ; 

Full  well  his  loyal  heart  a  tribute  bring 

Devotion  to  his  country  and  her  king. 

O'er  the  wild  tempestuous  seas  he  sailed, 

Canadian  shores  with  all  their  dangers  hailed  ; 

Through  tedious  years  he  bore  his  country's  arms 

Through  every  peril  and  all  of  war's  alarms  ; 

His  valiant  arm  no  tremor  ever  knew, 

But  glory  sought  where  dangers  thickest  flew  ; 

Intrepid  daring  displayed  on  every  hand, 

Attention  gained  from  those  in  high  command ; 

On  many  a  stormy  field,  his  duty  done, 

Heroic  valor  the  prize  of  honor  won  ; 

From  rank  to  rank  he  rose,  and  soon  his  name, 

Through  gallant  deeds,  was  wedded  high  to  fame. 

Gigantic  blows  the  arms  of  England  gave  ; 
Nought  the  power  of  Imperial  France  could  save: 
Louisburg,  Quebec,  latest  Montreal, 
In  quick  succession  bravely  fighting  fall. 


l8o  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

France  an  empire  lost,  —  for  man  and  Albion 
Courage,  patience,  genius,  an  empire  won. 
*Twas  Barre,  on  the  grateful  errand  sent, 
Bore  the  great  tidings  to  his  government ; 
Britain's  heart  with  ecstatic  joy  o'erflowed  ; 
With  wild  enthusiasm,  lavishly  bestowed 
Triumphal  honors  on  her  legions  brave, 
Who  to  her  sway  a  mighty  province  gave : 
In  every  form  her  high  applause  declared, 
And  welcomed  Barre,  who  the  honor  shared. 

Through  desperate  years  'twas  Barre's  to  inhale 

The  breath  of  freedom  borne  on  every  gale  ; 

And,  when  returning  to  his  native  shore, 

Columbia's  spirit  in  his  heart  he  bore. 

Of  noble  form,  cast  in  heroic  mould. 

Crowned  with  a  head  whose  pose  and  feature  told 

Where'er  he  moved  what  spirit  dwelt  within, 

To  what  high  nature  his  was  most  akin. 

Temper  keen  he  had  as  the  steel  he  bore, 

A  mind  as  brilliant  as  the  sword  he  wore  ; 

A  courage,  dauntless  as  a  lion's,  his ; 

A  heart  as  tender  as  a  woman's  is ; 

A  tongue  with  native  eloquence  inspired. 

Smoothed  by  the  graces  in  the  schools  acquired  : 

Loyal  to  King,  to  Liberty  as  well 

His  pulses  throb,  his  generous  breast  doth  swell : 

Over  his  life  his  genius  threw  the  charms 

Which  of  all  caste  the  prejudice  disarms  : 

And  honors  cluster ;  Barre  soon  is  sent 

Chosen  as  member  of  parliament. 

Soon  his  quick  eye  perceived  the  deep  intent 

Of  royal  power  towards  this  continent. 

His  ardent  soul  against  the  scheme  rebelled. 

With  brilliant  speech  provincial  rights  upheld  ; 

Before  the  foe  in  arms  he  never  quailed, 

And  the  new  contest  cheerfully  he  hailed  ; 

Where'er  Columbia's  foeman  ever  breathed 

Barry's  keen-edged  cimeter  was  unsheathed  ; 


POEM.  l8l 

His  voice  he  raised,  its  signal  warning  gave 

To  king  and  parliament  our  rights  to  save. 

However  hopeless  for  freedom  to  contend, 

She  found  in  Barre  a  patron  and  a  friend. 

With  Burke  and  Chatham  side  by  side  he  wrought, 

And  many  a  contest  gloriously  fought. 

Such,  such  the  man  whose  fame  our  fathers  prized, 

In  whose  high  name  these  noble  hills  baptized. 

In  honored  measure  let  his  name  be  sung, 

Let  every  banner  to  the  breeze  be  flung  ; 

And  may  his  spirit  ever  here  reside, 

His  love  of  freedom  o'er  these  hills  "preside  : 

Through  all  the  past  its  pure  and  lustrous  ray 

Has  led  our  sons  along  the  darkest  way. 

When  Sumpter's  thunders  pealed  along  the  sky. 

Mingling  close  with  Freedom's  piercing  cry. 

And  myriad  bondmen,  crouched  in  fear  and  dread 

As  hope's  bright  vision  seemed  for  ever  fled. 

Turned  to  the  North  a  pallid,  pleading  face. 

To  brother  men,  though  of  another  race  ; 

At  that  sad  time,  when  madness  ruled  the  hour, 

And  fiercely  threatened,  if  it  had  the  power, 

A  nation's  starry  banner  should  be  furled. 

And  Freedom's  light  extinguished  for  the  world  ; 

When  patriot  hearts,  to  jealous  thoughts  unused. 

Found  Treason's  genius  all  the  air  infused, 

And  strove,  with  matchless  cunning,  to  install 

Her  seat  of  power  within  the  capitol ; 

When  President  and  Senates  gravely  sat 

With  fear  and  trembling  in  the  Halls  of  State, 

Not  knowing  sure  who  would  be  friend  or  foe. 

Or  who,  in  secret,  strike  a  fatal  blow  :  — 

'Twas  then  our  Lincoln,  anxious,  hoping,  sent 

Electric  flashes  o'er  a  continent. 

Calling  for  aid,  but  only  for  a  few. 

Who,  free  from  treason's  wiles,  would  e'er  be  true. 

And  bear  aloft  the  red,  the  white,  and  blue. 

Most  glorious  moment  of  recorded  time  ! 

Thy  praise  shall  sound  through  every  age  and  clime  ! 


l82  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

That  lightning  flash,  that  sped  along  the  wire, 
Touched  every  soul  with  an  electric  fire  : 
A  light  divine  illumed  the  Northern  sky. 
The  grand  auroral  flaming  its  reply : 
A  power  unseen  assumed  supreme  control, 
And  held  its  sway  o'er  every  Northern  soul : 
Sublime  enthusiasm  for  a  while  possessed 
The  inmost  recess  of  every  Northern  breast ; 
Every  hill  and  valley  found  a  tongue, 
And  with  the  noble  rapture  grandly  rung ; 
From  where  Atlantic's  mighty  surges  roar, 
To  the  remote  Pacific's  peaceful  shore, 
Millions  of  hearts  seemed  welded  into  one. 
One  answer  gave  to  Treason's  signal  gun  ; 
All,  as  one  spirit,  bent  a  devotee 
To  God,  and  Country,  Union,  Liberty. 
Treason  shuddered  at  the  amazing  sight. 
Astonished  Europe  gazed  with  no  delight ; 
While  suffering  man,  where'er  the  tidings  flew, 
High  hope  and  courage  and  sweet  comfort  drew. 

In  the  great  contest,  which  history  shall  trace, 
The  sons  of  Barre  held  an  honored  place  : 
During  the  strife,  from  many  a  battle-field 
A  son  of  Barre  was  borne  upon  his  shield. 
O'er  the  wide  range  of  war's  majestic  tread 
Rise  the  green  barrows  of  her  noble  dead. 

In  that  rugged  vale,  where  the  waters  roar 

Along  the  rocky  bed  of  Shenandoah  ; 

Where,  year  by  year,  beside  the  rolling  flood. 

In  dread  aiTay  the  hostile  armies  stood  ; 

O'er  whose  red  fields  the  clouds  of  battle  hung, 

And  storm  and  strife  in  furious  accents  rung; 

Where  ebbed  and  flowed  and  flowed  and  ebbed  the  tide 

Of  legions  grim,  as  oft,  from  side  to  side, 

The  changing  fortunes  of  the  contest  swayed, 

And  victory  halted,  and  was  long  delayed  ; 

Where  not  alone,  in  open  strife  arrayed. 

The  foe  met  foe,  and  with  closed  ranks  assayed 


POEM.  183 

The  conflict  fierce,  where  shot  and  bursting  shell 
And  gleaming  steel  of  awful  carnage  tell ; 
But  wily  foes,  in  every  form  concealed, 
Kept  their  keen  watch  in  telescopic  field  ; 
'Twas  here  our  Woods  received  his  fatal  wound, 
And  Piedmont's  field  to  us  is  hallowed  ground. 
Young,  able,  cultured,  of  high  promise,  he 
Gave  all  he  had  to  God  and  Liberty. 

At  early  dawn,  on  one  September  day, 

A  peaceful  vale  in  sleeping  beauty  lay  ; 

By  rise  of  sun  were  plainly  to  be  seen 

The  glistening  arms  of  many  thousand  men  ; 

In  threatening  order  darkly  do  they  stand 

Along  the  crests  of  hills  on  either  hand  ; 

By  second  set  of  sun  how  changed  the  vale  ! 

Let  War's  dread  record  tell  the  fearful  tale 

Of  clashing  arms,  the  crashing,  deafening  roar 

That  from  the  throbbing  throats  of  batteries  pour ; 

Of  whistling  bullet  and  the  screaming  shell. 

The  shout  of  onset  and  responsive  yell ; 

The  bugle's  blare,  the  cry  of  agony 

From  dying  braves  as  on  the  field  they  lie  ; 

The  fearful  gaps  in  living  columns  rent 

By  conquering  missiles  on  death's  errand  sent ; 

The  ghastly  faces,  upturned  to  the  sky. 

Who've  shown  how  men  could  do  and  how  could  die  ; 

Of  the  fair  fields  in  mighty  ridges  torn. 

Of  all  their  smiling  beauty  quickly  shorn  ; 

Of  hills  that  shuddered  at  the  appalling  sight. 

And  skies  that  welcomed  the  approaching  night ; 

How  raged  the  contest  until  set  of  sun, 

And  then  the  fearful  work  was  scarcely  done ; 

Where  Mars  this  hideous  legacy  bestowed. 

And  where  Antietam's  crimson  current  flowed, 

'Twas  there  young  Holbrook,  noble,  brave,  and  true, 

Closed  his  bright  eye  and  bade  the  world  adieu. 

Where  moved  the  loyal  arms,  in  morn's  clear  light. 
In  open  fields  for  the  stern  bristling  height 


184  BARRE   CENTENNIAL.         / 

Of  Fredericksburg,  from  whose  sheltered  crests 
All  war's  high  enginery  upon  the  breasts 
Of  loyal,  unprotected  men  with  dire 
Destruction  hurled  an  avalanche  of  fire  ; 
And  shattered  columns  halt,  but  quickly  close, 
And  steady  move  undaunted  toward  their  foes, 
Again  to  meet  the  avalanche  of  death. 
Where  hundreds  disappear  as  with  a  breath  ; 
'Twas  here  young  Friar,  our  adopted  son. 
Closed  his  career  and  honor  bravely  won. 
An  ardent,  generous  Celt,  he  freely  gave 
All  with  which  nature  had  endowed  the  brave. 

Not  he  alone  who  boldly  met  the  foe 

Where  steel  crossed  steel,  and  in  the  heat  and  glow 

Of  battle  glory  won,  but  also  he 

Who  lay  'neath  scorching  suns,  in  agony 

Of  fell  disease,  encountered  perils  high, 

That  called  for  courage,  patience,  constancy. 

And  many  a  hero's  life,  like  morning  dew, 

With  lofty  patience  faded  from  the  view. 

And  so  our  Ainsworth  bravely  passed  away, 

And  o'er  his  head  we'd  drop  a  tear  to-day  ; 

The  blood  of  revolutionary  sires 

Kindled  his  heart  with  freedom's  holy  fires  ; 

The  patriot  heart  of  Lee  was  born  anew. 

And  gave  an  Ainsworth  to  his  country  too  ; 

In  distant  clime,  near  Mississippi's  flow, 

He  gently  rests,  where  leafy  maples  grow, 

And  o'er  his  grave  a  grateful  shadow  throw  ; 

And  round  his  couch  perpetual  roses  bloom. 

Oh,  sweetest  rose,  embalm  the  pati'iot's  tomb  ! 

Then,  southern  breezes,  bring  us  their  perfume  ! 

But  Newbern,  Port  Hudson,  and  Gettysburg, 
Cold  Harbor,  New  Market,  and  Petersburg, 
Bisland,  Lynchburg,  and  Spottsylvania, 
Had  every  one  its  own  terrific  day, 
O'er  whose  hot  fields  the  sons  of  Barre  trod, 
And  found  their  rest  beneath  the  crimson  sod. 


POEM.  185 


Heroic  sons  !  our  jewels  nobly  set, 

The  shining  brilliants  in  our  coronet ; 

Go  count  them  now,  their  names  are  deeply  traced 

In  marble  tablets,  not  to  be  effaced. 

On  yonder  shaft  which  loving  hearts  have  reared 

In  reverent  memory  of  the  gallant  dead  ; 

Where  now  Columbia's  Eagle  sorrowing  sits 

With  drooping  wing,  and  ne'er  his  watch  remits ; 

Whose  fearless  heart,  whose  sleepless,  blazing  eye, 

Shall  guard  the  fame  which  never  now  shall  die  ! 

Spirit  of  Barre  !   in  thy  glorious  flight 
Through  upper  worlds,  in  the  pure  realms  of  light, 
Thou'lt  find  our  children  sitting  by  thy  side, 
From  Freedom's  battles  gathered  far  and  wide. 
And  here  to-day  in  flower  of  manhood  stand 
The  comrades  of  the  dead,  a  gallant  band  ; 
Through  equal  peril,  equal  valor  shone. 
And  every  heart,  by  noble  deeds,  is  won. 

Where  yonder  cross  and  towering  spires  arise 
To  lead  the  toilworn  wanderer  to  the  skies, 
We  mark  the  way  wherein  our  fathers  trod. 
And  reverent  bow  to  Thy  great  name,  O  God  ! 
To  Thee  our  sires,  through  all  the  ancient  days, 
With  hearts  united,  joined  in  prayer  and  praise  : 
'Twas  then  this  people  one  sweet  impulse  felt, 
And  at  one  shrine  with  pure  devotion  knelt ; 
Led  by  one  spirit,  by  one  common  thought. 
In  one  temple  Thy  holy  presence  sought. 

As  memory  wanders  back  to  former  years, 
A  noble  form  before  us  reappears  ; 
For  fifty  years  he  led  our  wayward  feet 
To  Thy  green  pastures,  and  by  waters  sweet : 
With  quiet  dignity  himself  he  bore  ; 
With  modest  piety  his  heart  ran  o'er; 
His  spirit  gentle,  with  humility  impressed, 
W^ith  tender  sympathy  for  all  distressed : 
24 


1 86  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

Wherever  sorrow  brooded  o'er  the  heart, 
His  tender  words,  beyond  the  power  of  art, 
Oft  rent  the  cloud  and  let  the  sunshine  through  ; 
The  night  dispersed  with  heavenly  light  and  dew  ; 
O'er  gaping  wounds  he  poured  the  heavenly  balm 
To  soothe  the  anguish,  keenest  pangs  disarm. 

Wherever  joyous  transport  ruled  the  hour, 
And  budding  life  unfolds  the  sweetest  flower  ; 
And  when  from  higher  worlds  seemed  come  to  this 
Love's  brightest  angel  bearing  heavenly  bliss, 
And  loving  hearts  the  nuptial  tie  confessed, 
His  genial  presence  was  a  welcome  guest ; 
And  from  his  heart  a  sacred  current  flowed. 
And  its  blessed  sanction  on  the  scene  bestowed  ; 
A  holy  influence  seemed  to  fill  the  air, 
And  leave  a  blessing  on  the  happy  pair. 

His  Christian  faith  !  oh,  what  words  can  tell 

Its  simple  beauty  and  its  magic  spell ! 

It  on  his  spirit  sat  as  sweet  and  mild 

As  filial  trust  and  virtue  on  a  child  ; 

As  its  deep  current  poured  itself  in  prayer. 

The  listening  throng  could  but  its  influence  share  ; 

And  sweet  charity  so  his  soul  imbued 

No  bigot  thought  could  e'er  its  front  intrude  ; 

While  flowing  eloquence  inspired  his  tongue. 

And  Christian  hearts  on  the  smooth  accents  hung. 

'Twas  twenty  years  in  May's  sweet  month  of  bloom 

We  laid  his  honored  dust  within  the  tomb  ; 

His  ransomed  spirit  to  its  glorious  rest 

Flew,  a  winged  angel  to  its  Master's  breast. 

Revered  and  honored  he,  both  far  and  wide, 

The  world  a  Christian  lost  when  Thompson  died. 

In  social  life  we've  steady  progress  made. 
On  social  customs  waged  a  fierce  crusade  ; 
On  Washingtonian  waves  we  launched  a  sail, 
And  spread  the  canvas  to  the  fiivoring  gale, 


POEM.  187 

The  pirate  craft  from  the  wide  sea  to  sweep, 
To  seize  and  scuttle  and  sink  them  in  the  deep  ; 
And  Rum's  black  banner  for  a  time  went  down, 
And  Temperance  streamers  flew  above  the  town  ; 
The  light  of  burning  liquors  rising  high, 
A  Temp'rance  calcium  flaming  in  the  sky, 
Warning  of  sunken  reef  and  hidden  rock, 
Where  many  a  gallant  bark  with  fearful  shock 
To  pieces  went,  nor  dreamed  of  peril  there, 
'Till  hope's  fair  promise  changed  to  grim  despair. 
All  approved  methods,  known  to  modern  days, 
We've  tested  well  to  purify  our  ways  ; 
One  method  only  here  has  been  employed. 
Less  favored  regions  have  not  yet  enjoyed. 
We  trust,  however,  none  will  envy  us ; 
But  the  tradition  tells  the  story  thus  :  — 

In  years  agone,  'tis  said  that  Uncle  Jack 
Was  steering  home  with  something  in  a  sack, 
When  some  skilled  marksman,  before  Jack  knew  it, 
Poised  his  rifle  and  put  a  bullet  through  it: 
What,  on  the  instant,  streaming  to  the  ground, 
Sent  its  fresh  odors  steaming  all  around? 
What  terror  first,  in  sudden  pallor  spread 
O'er  Jack's  quaint  visage,  then,  in  trembling  tread, 
His  onward  footsteps  stayed,  until,  at  length, 
His  wonder  o'er,  his  passion  gave  him  strength  ; 
His  treasure  gone,  so  swiftly  run  away. 
What  could  he  do,  or  e'en  what  could  he  say? 
With  boiling  rage,  'twas  then  that  Uncle  Jack 
Turned  on  his  heel  and  took  the  backward  track  ; 
On  laughing  crowds  a  furious  tempest  burst, 
And  all  around  most  terribly  was  cursed  ! 
For  Jack  was  mad,  and  madder  yet  he  grew, 
Until  most  surely  all  his  lights  burned  blue  ; 
But  one  poor  mortal,  whatever  may  be  said. 
That  night,  though  sorrowing,  sober  went  to  bed  ! 
Oh  !  where's  that  keen-eyed  marksman,  tell  me,  say, 
Come  from  distant  fields,  is  he  here  to-day  ? 


l88  BARRE   CENTENNIAL. 

Or,  gone  with  Jack,  now  only  to  be  found 
In  purer  realms  on  other  hunting-ground? 
If  here  to-day,  ask  him,  'tis  a  trifle. 
If  he  thought  to  bring  with  him  that  rifle? 
If  so,  tell  him,  if  any  game  be  found. 
With  certain  aim  to  bring  it  to  the  ground ! 

Oh!  memory,  memory,  what  art  thou? 

From  what  secret  chamber,  coming  now, 

Dost  bring  the  polished  tablets  where  are  traced 

The  lovely  forms  that  ne'er  will  be  effaced? 

By  what  ethereal  fingers  bring  to  view 

Each  object,  feeling,  thought,  we  ever  knew? 

In  thy  charmed  galleries  ever  seem  to  stand    . 

The  cherished  forms  we've  loved  on  eveiy  hand  ! 

All  the  wondrous  alcoves  radiant  glow 

With  pictures  painted  in  the  long  ago  ; 

The  colors  laid  in  life's  earliest  prime 

But  slightly  softened  by  the  touch  of  time: 

We  yield  our  hearts  to  thy  delightsome  sway  ; 

Wave  o'er  our  thoughts  thy  magic  wand  to-day  ! 

All  the  sweet  pictures  of  the  past  unveil. 

With  clustering  rapture  all  our  hearts  assail ; 

Oh  !   for  an  hour  that  to  the  charmed  sight 

We  could  turn  the  pictures  memory  brings  to  light 

Of  early  life  so  jocund  and  so  free. 

So  full  of  present  joy  and  that  to  be  ! 

But  power  imperious  gives  the  stern  command  ; 

We  must  obey,  and  stay  the  willing  hand. 

Yet  where'er  you  turn,  wander  where  you  will. 

The  heart  is  moved  by  some  delightful  thrill ; 

Or  mellowing  sorrow,  to  the  heart  as  dear, 

Chastens  the  spirit,  yields  the  past  a  tear. 

The  ancient  church,  its  very  precinct  brings 
The  sweet  aroma  of  most  sacred  things  ; 
The  old  school-house,  and  yonder  village  inn, 
Swarm  with  briglit  images  of  what  have  been  ; 
If  they  could  speak,  such  stories  might  be  told 
As  for  one  day  would  save  us  growing  old. 


POEM.  189 


Go  ramble  in  the  valley 

By  the  river's  rushing  din, 

Perchance  you'd  find  the  very  spot 

Where  once  you  tumbled  in  : 

Go  stroll  along  the  brookside, 

In  the  shadow  of  the  glen, 

And  watch  the  sprightly  waters  play, 

And  think  of  now  and  then  : 

Then,  when  in  youth's  bright  morning. 

Free  from  all  guile  and  sin. 

You  often  wandered  by  the  stream, 

A-fishing  with  a  pin  ; 

And  as  in  youthful  patience 

You  sat  there  on  the  stone. 

Waiting  for  the  fish  to  bite. 

In  the  shadows  all  alone. 

To  your  youthful  fancy 

Each  rustling  leaf  and  spray 

Seemed  but  the  answering  voices 

Of  fairies  in  their  play  ; 

Perchance  the  fairy  whispered 

To  the  naiad  of  the  stream, 

And  a  voice  within  the  waters 

Replied  to  the  fairy  dream  I 

The  waters  dash  as  gail}' 

To-day  from  side  to  side  ; 

The  bubbles  ride  as  daintily 

On  the  brimming  tide  ; 

The  lights  now  flash  as  brightly 

As  in  the  days  of  yore  ; 

The  stone  rests  there  upon  the  bank 

With  mosses  covered  o'er  ; 

But  the  sitter  has  departed. 

Not  quite  the  same  is  he. 

He  comes  though,  joyous-hearted, 

With  waking  memory. 


190  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

At  twilight's  pensive  hour,  with  rev'rent  tread 

We'd  wend  our  way  where  I'est  our  treasured  dead, 

From  whose  vast  labors  we  see  here  arise 

From  out  a  wild,  almost  a  paradise  ; 

Or  who,  in  life's  most  bright  and  happy  hours, 

Entwined  love's  tendrils  round  these  hearts  of  ours. 

To  still  another  spot  our  steps  will  turn. 

For  which,  through  all  the  life,  the  heart  will  yearn  ; 

Where'er  we  wander,  and  whate'er  our  lot. 

The  early  homestead  cannot  be  forgot. 

Home  !  Home  !  most  sacred  spot  of  all  the  earth, 

Where  holy  love,  unselfish,  had  its  birth. 

The  trees,  the  rocks,  the  streams,  the  bending  skies, 

The  mansion  old,  and  every  thing  that  lies 

Around  the  place,  to  memory  ever  dear. 

Why  to  the  eye  so  fresh  do  they  appear? 

Why  to  the  thought  do  they  so  quickly  start? 

'Tis  love  alone  embalmed  them  in  the  heart. 

When  near  the  spot  with  moistened  eyelids  trace 

The  dear  old  record  of  the  happy  place. 

As  from  these  fair  scenes  you  soon  shall  sever, 

All  sweet  thoughts  and  memories  you  can  gather 

Bear  away  to  bless  you  all  for  ever. 

Of  all  the  memories  which  this  day  can  bring 
To  all  our  thoughts,  most  gladly  would  we  sing, 
But  flowing  sands,  how  quickly  do  they  run  1 
And  now  the  singer's  fitful  song  is  done. 
Where'er  you  go,  wherever  you  may  stray. 
We  hope  you'll  bear  kind  memories  of  to-day. 
With  hearty  thanks  for  kind  attention,  I 
Now  say  Goodby,  Goodby,  Goodby,  Goodby ! 


REMARKS    OF    MR.    EDWIN    WOODS.  I9I 

A  piece  of  music  having  been  rendered  by  the  Band,  — 

The  President. — We  now  introduce  the  regular  senti- 
ments,  and  propose  — 

I.  The  Day  we  Celebrate :  As  it  is  the  horizon  Hne  of  two  centuries, 
may  it  be  the  initial  point  of  increased  morality,  intelligence,  and  enter- 
prise to  all  who  come  after  us. 

REMARKS   OF  MR.   EDWIN  WOODS. 

The  swiftly-flying  moments,  —  crowded  with  memories,  aspira- 
tions, reminiscences,  —  the  varied  expectations  of  this  assembly  to 
listen  to  words  from  those  who  have  to-day  returned  here  to  honor 
their  birthplace  on  its  one  hundredth  birthday,  and  to  renew  the 
friendships  and  acquaintance  of  younger  days,  as  they  grasp  the 
hands  and  look  into  the  faces  of  the  few  that  remain,  and  recall 
to  mind  the  many  who,  commencing  life  here  with  them,  and 
passing  away  to  distant  and  scattered  lands,  with  fortune's  smile 
or  fortune's  frown,  have  passed  to  the  land  of  the  unknown,  —  of 
the  great  hereafter,  —  as  well  as  the  proprieties  of  the  position 
assigned  me,  demand  that  bievity  be  my  watchword  as  it  is  to  be 
the  key-note  of  this  occasion. 

Brevity,  you  know,  is  the  soul  of  wit,  and  the  wit  for  this  occa- 
sion ought  to  be 

"  Sparkling  and  bright 
In  its  liquid  light, 
Like  the  wacer  in  our  glasses." 

But  how  can  this  be?  Who  can  tell  the  story  of  an  hundred 
years  in  five  minutes?  Who  can  recall  in  that  brief  space  the 
conspicuous  men  of  those  generations,  and  enumerate  the  deeds 
they  have  wrought  and  the  impressions  they  have  made  on  the 
tablet  of  history.?  What  traditions  of  intei'est  mingle  with  the 
well  ascertained  facts  that  have  transpired,  and  go  to  throw  an 
atmosphere  of  brilliant  romance  around  our  contemplation  of  the 
reality  ? 

The  day  we  celebrate  marked  an  era  for  others  as  well  as  for 
us.  It  was  the  dividbtg  line  between  the  future  and  the  past  in 
the  State  as  well  as  the  commencement  of  a  career  for  the  town. 


192  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

It  was  a  step  forward  in  the  progress  of  civilization  and  free- 
dom and  development  for  this  community  and  for  the  State  and 
the  country.  And  yet  neither  town  nor  State  had  been  without  a 
past,  full  of  interest  and  of  romance,  of  heroic  enterprise,  and  of 
patient,  persistent  toil. 

The  nation  had  not  then  been  born.  The  influences  which 
were  to  produce  a  country  to  take  a  place  in  the  front  rank  of  the 
nations  of  the  world  were  silently  working  in  these  little  town 
organizations,  which  were  making  practical  the  theories  first 
roughly  written  out  on  board  the  "  Mayflower,"  and  telling  the 
world  that  the  true  rule  of  government  was  self-government,  and 
that  the  rights  of  men  were  not  dependent  upon  charters,  nor  the 
gifts  of  kings,  but  were  God-given,  —  inalienable  and  dependent 
upon  the  virtue  and  the  valor  of  those  who  enjoyed  them. 

And  so  it  is  a  noteworthy  coincidence  of  the  day  we  celebrate, 
that  the  Act  giving  us  an  existence  was  practically  one  of  the  last 
acts  of  the  government  of  the  Crown  in  this  State,  and  so,  as  I 
have  said,  connecting  us  both  with  the  past  and  with  the  future. 
And  fitting,  too,  was  it  that,  thus  connected,  we  should  take  a 
name  at  first  that  was  connected  with  the  past  by  the  laurels  won 
by  its  owner,  as  historian,  legislator,  judge,  and  governor  in  the 
service  of  that  government  which  our  country  had  outgrown,  and 
bear  the  name  of  Hutchinson. 

And  right  worthily  did  our  fathers  illustrate  the  spirit  of  the 
blood  of  the  Puritans  of  the  "  Mayflower,"  which  flowed  through 
the  veins  of  some  of  them,  when  they  repudiated  that  name  of 
Hutchinson,  as  intended  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  one  whose 
act  merited  oblivion,  and,  with  the  name  of  the  gallant  defender 
of  the  rights  of  American  colonies,  take  their  place  with  the  party 
of  the  people  against  the  party  of  the  crown, — with  liberty  and 
independence  against  that  of  slavery  and  servility,  —  teaching 
anew  the  lesson  that  loyalty  to  truth,  to  duty,  and  to  man  is  sure 
to  be  appreciated  sooner  or  later,  while  treachery,  however  gilded, 
ever  merits  and  is  sure  to  receive  contempt. 

Nor  is  it  alone  on  account  of  the  incidents  of  our  starting  upon 
a  municipal  career  that  this  day  an  hundred  years  ago  deserves 
commemoration. 

A  generation  of  men  and  women  lived  here  then  whose  char- 
acters and  deeds  deserve  to  be  recalled  to  the  knowledge  of  the 


REMARKS    OF    MR.    EDWIN    WOODS.  I93 

men  and  women  of  to-day.  And  it  is  fitting  that,  as  a  century  has 
run  its  round,  their  sons  and  daughters  should  recall  the  memo- 
ries of  them  that  they  possess,  and  make  permanent  the  record  of 
their  life-work,  so  that  their  memories  shall  not  j^erish  from 
among  men.  And  so,  for  the  history  and  the  biograph}'  of  an 
hundred  years  completed,  is  it  convenient  and  proper  that  we 
celebrate  this  day. 

The  connection  that  one  generation  has  with  its  successors  in 
determining  its  course  of  conduct  and  the  influence  it  shall  exert 
is  a  subject  well  worthy  attention  ;  and  so  it  is  well  to  know  in 
whose  veins  runs  the  blood,  so  as  to  see  if  the  children  inherit  the 
virtues  of  the  fathers,  and  therefore,  in  connection  with  the  gene- 
alogy of  the  town,  would  we  celebrate  its  Centennial.  Traditions 
and  anecdotes  exhibit  character  and  tendencies,  while  the  prog- 
ress made  in  wealth  and  the  means  of  wealth,  the  course  of  busi- 
ness and  the  results  thereof,  the  development  of  agriculture, 
manufactures,  and  the  mechanic  arts,  our  social,  educational,  and 
religious  influences,  all  fitly  pass  in  review  at  least  at  the  close  of 
a  century,  and  make  this  day  worthy  to  be  celebrated. 

And,  to  crown  the  whole,  as  these  friends  of  ours,  who  share  with 
lis  the  honor  of  our  good  old  town,  who  have  here  been  born,  and 
whose  parents'  dust  lie  quiet  in  our  peaceful  cemeteries,  or  who 
have  for  a  time  resided  here  and  engaged  in  the  toil  of  our  fields, 
or  the  activities  of  our  business  pursuits,  and  the  sons  and  daugh- 
ters of  the  early  settlers  and  former  residents,  recall  to  mind  this 
anniversary,  and  come  home  to  mingle  the  congratulations  of  the 
occasion  and  the  tribute  of  honor  and  praise  to  those  who  have 
so  well  deserved  it,  —  the  claims  and  compensations  of  kindred 
and  friends  unite  to  render  fitting  the  commemoration  of  this  day. 

And  so,  with  the  thanks  of  the  Committee  of  Arrangements, 
mingled  with  the  welcome  already  spoken,  I  make  way  for  the 
next  sentiment  on  your  programme. 

II.  The  United  States  :  Our  country  !  Last  among  the  great  nations 
to  assume  an  independent  position  !  Among  the  first  in  rank,  power,  and 
influence  to-day.  Its  history  is  the  triumph  of  republican  principles,  and 
justifies  the  pride  with  which  we  anticipate  the  celebration  of  its  centen- 
nial year. 

The  President.  —  I  introduce  to  you  a  descendant  of  a 

25 


194  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

son  of  Barre,  whose  deeds  on  other  fields  have  entitled  him 
to  the  position  and  right  to  speak  to-day  in  behalf  of  the 
country  he  has  so  gloriously  defended,  —  General  A.  B. 
Underwood,  of  Boston. 

REMARKS   OF   GENERAL   UNDERWOOD. 

I  remember,  Mr.  President,  that  I  am  rather  undersized  for 
the  average  Barre  man,  which  is,  I  believe,  six  feet,  therefoi'e  I  am 
not  very  anxious  to  come  to  the  front,  although  I  have  been  in 
the  front  I  believe  sometimes  with  some  of  your  good  citizens  of 
Barre. 

Mr.  President,  and  ladies  and  gentlemen,  when,  a  few  moments 
ago,  I  had  the  sorrow  to  be  disturbed  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  day 
by  learning  that  I  was  to  be  called  upon  to  speak,  and  was  in- 
formed that  it  was  to  be  to  "  The  United  States,"  it  seemed  to  me, 
under  the  spell  of  the  eloquence  of  the  distinguished  Orator  of  the 
day,  —  and  1  desire  for  one  to  express  my  very  great  gratitude  to 
him  for  the  eloquent  and  tender  tribute  which  he  has  paid  to  the 
achievement  of  its  citizens,  —  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  sentiment  to 
which  I  was  to  respond  should  have  been  worded  in  this  way : 
"  The  United  States,  settled  largely  by  emigrants  from  Barre." 
Everybody  I  have  met  with  to-day  or  heard  of  to-day,  —  and  it 
seems  that  about  everybody  I  ever  knew,  —  I  find  hails  from 
Barre.  Not  only  that,  but  I  find  everybody  proud  to  say  so,  and 
that  is  a  tribute  to  Barre.  And  I  feel  a  little  like  blushing,  sir, 
in  standing  here  to-day,  that  I  cannot  say  that  I  was  born  in 
Barre  ;  but  then,  sir,  the  next  best  thing  is,  to  say  that  my  father 
and  my  grandfather  were  born  in  Barre,  and  that  my  great- 
grandfather was  one  of  the  early  settlers.  And  therefore,  sir, 
I  believe  that  I  have  some  claim  to  be  here.  To-day  I  find  that 
there  is  a  marvellous  recognition  of  brothers  coming  toget4ier,  old 
residents  of  Barre.  I  think  my  father  has  discovered  about 
seventy-five  of  his  schoolmates,  all  taught  in  that  same  little 
district  school,  about  nine  feet  square  ;  and  considering  the  diffi- 
culties which  they  underwent  in  getting  their  education,  I  don't 
wonder  at  what  they  have  disseminated  among  the  other  parts  of 
the  earth.     But,  Mr.  President,  Barre  has  not  only  done  her  share 


REMARKS    OF    GENERAL    UNDERWOOD.  1 95 

in  peopling  the  United  States,  —  and  I  assure  you  she  has  done  her 
share  in  our  neighborhood,  —  but  Barre  has  done  her  share  in  build- 
ing the  government  of  which  we  are  proud  to-day.  And,  sir,  how 
can  we  appreciate  the  greatness  of  our  country  without  recalling, 
as  our  Orator  has  done  to-day,  the  sacrifices  which  were  made  by 
our  fathers  and  by  the  sons  of  the  fathers?  Think  of  this  little 
town  of  Barre,  the  anniversary  of  which  occurs  to-day,  then  not 
a  year  old,  sending  its  minute-men  to  fight  for  the  struggling 
nation  at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill ;  and  then,  sir,  when,  a  year  or 
two  afterwards,  in  the  darkness  of  the  war,  —  and,  remembering 
what  I  do  of  our  own  war,  I  wonder,  —  when  a  few  men  were  found 
in  Barre,  as  elsewhere,  who  classed  themselves  as  accommodation- 
men,  —  remember,  sir,  this  little  town  of  Barre,  then  in  its  infancy, 
hardly  knowing  where  the  next  man  shall  come  from,  or  the  next 
dollar,  still  again  pledging  to  defend  the  little  germ  of  a  republic 
by  its  lives  and  sacred  honor.  That,  sir,  settled  the  certainty  of 
this  republic  ;  that  tells  us  where  this  nation,  the  United  States  of 
America,  of  which  we  are  proud  to  be  citizens  to-day,  had  its 
origin.  But  then,  sir,  how  can  we  appreciate  the  nation  further, 
without  remembering  the  sacrifices  of  this  generation,  when,  sir, 
tlie  liberties  of  the  country  were  attacked,  although  the  country 
had  grown  to  an  unprecedented  degree  ;  think,  sir,  that  a  million 
of  men  started  up  at  once  and  left  their  business  industries  all 
over  the  land,  and  rushed  to  the  front  to  defend  this  same  country 
and  flag  of  our  fathers,  and  for  four  long  years  were  never  willing 
to  give  it  up  —  not  even  listening  for  a  moment  to  the  accommo- 
dation-men —  till  the  Union  was  saved,  and  our  flag  floated  proudly 
and  victoriously  as  it  does  to-day.  Oh,  fellow-citizens  !  if  you  would 
appreciate  the  sacrifices  of  this  generation,  go  and  read  the  names 
on  that  beautiful  shaft  which  the  people  of  Barre  have  erected  to 
the  memory  of  her  heroic  sons.  See  the  battles,  —  Port  Hudson, 
Newbern,  Gettysburg,  and  then  look  over  the  names  and  see 
many  others.  Why,  sir,  if  all  brings  back  to  us  memories,  and 
we  recall  —  you  recall,  fellow-citizens  —  these  sons  and  fathers  and 
brothers,  and  the  sacrifices  of  this  generation.  And  to-day,  sir, 
standing  here  a  grandson  of  Barre,  I  feel  proud  to  recall  what 
you  have  done,  and  your  sons  have  done,  for  the  defence  of  the 
Union.     And  I  feel  at  home  here,  for  I  remember  that  these  same 


196  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

sons,  whose  names,  some  of  them,  I  know,  were  my  comrades  in  the 
battle-field.  I  remember  the  regiments  in  which  they  fought  side 
by  side  with  my  own,  —  the  21st,  31st,  35th,  36th,  53d,  and  others, 
and  I  feel  that  they  were  my  comrades,  and  that  here,  in  presence 
of  that  monument  erected  to  them,  it  is  my  home  as  it  is  your 
home.  I  not  only  remember  them,  but  also  that  there  were  others 
who  served  near  me,  sons  of  Barre,  grandsons  of  Barre,  and  so, 
sir,  I  could  find  many  ways  in  which  I  feel  myself  related  to  those 
Barre  sons  who  fought  in  the  late  war  if  it  was  the  place  and 
time.  In  closing,  let  me  simply  say,  my  fellow-citizens  of  Barre, 
as  we  are  all  drawn  together  to-day  in  these  memories,  let  us, 
while  we  recall  these  sacrifices  of  our  fathers,  and  the  sacrifices 
of  the  sons,  let  us  pledge  ourselves  in  the  memory  of  all  that  we 
will  try  to  make  the  Union,  these  United  States,  which  I  have  the 
honor  to  respond  to  at  this  moment,  sir,  worthy  of  those  great 
sacrifices,  and  worthy  of  all  the  dead  that  have  fallen  in  its 
defence. 

III.  Massachusetts :  Home  of  the  pilgrims  !  Cradle  of  liberty  !  Her 
first  constitution  in  its  preamble  wiped  out  slavery  from  among  her  insti- 
tutions, and  as  justice  has  been  associated  with  liberty  and  law  in  her 
legislation,  so  has  civilization  and  prosperity  been  stamped  on  her 
progress.  May  her  influence  in  the  councils  of  the  nation,  and  her  exam- 
ple among  the  fraternity  of  States,  be  ever  on  the  right  side,  and  ever 
increasing. 

Acting  Governor  Talbot  had  been  invited  to  be  present, 
but  previous  engagements  prevented. 

IV.  The  Coitnty  of  Wo7xester :  Heart  of  the  Commonwealth  !  Her 
extensive  territory,  of  easy  access  to  the  centre  by  railroad  facilities,  her 
influence  according  to  her  extent.  Let  there  be  no  division  of  the  heart ; 
but  let  head,  heart,  and  limb  work  in  harmony  for  increased  development 
and  prosperity. 

Hon.  W.  W.  Rice,  late  District,  Attorney,  was  expected 
to  speak  for  the  County,  out  of  his  abundance  ;  but  his 
voice  was  not  heard. 

V.  Bench  and  Bar :  While  the  Barre  lawyers  have  presented  to  the 
courts  the  conflicting  views  and  claims  of  their  clients  with  ability  and 
fidelity,  and  so  secured  respect  and  gratitude  as  well  as  the  pecuniary 


REMARKS    OF    MR.    GEORGE    F.    BABBITT.  I97 

reward  of  services  rendered,  the  bench  has  not  suffered  when  occupied  by 
a  lawyer  hailing  originally  from  Barre,  and  carrying  into  his  profession,  as 
advocate,  counsellor,  and  judge,  those  quahties  of  mind  and  heart  that 
Barre  ever  delights  to  find  animating  public  men. 

This  sentiment  was  announced  out  of  its  appropriate 
place,  as  some  of  the  speakers  were  obliged  to  leave  in  the 
cars  ;  and  so  the  response  from  a  former  resident  of  Barre, 
who  now  adorns  the  Bench  of  the  Superior  Court,  and  had 
been  obliged  to  retire,  was  lost. 

VI.  Col.  Isaac  Barre:  A  poor  emigrant's  son;  a  gallant  soldier;  a 
leader  of  fashion  ;  an  eloquent  statesman  ;  and  a  glorious  defender  of 
popular  rights.     May  the  town  prove  worthy  of  the  name  it  bears. 

The  President  said, — When  I  came  to  Barre,  some 
twenty-five  years  ago,  among  my  early  patients  was  a 
white-haired,  pale-faced  boy,  whose  chances  for  life  seemed 
to  be  not  of  the  most  promising,  but  \Vho  early  evinced  a 
faculty  of  mind  that  would  compensate  for  feebleness  of 
body.  I  have  watched  his  progress  since  during  his 
school-days  and  through  his  college  career,  and  rejoice 
to  know  that  now,  by  his  ready  and  incisive  pen,  in  his 
chosen  profession,  the  promise  of  his  youth  is  redeemed  in 
his  manhood,  and  am  happy  to  present  to  you  Mr.  George 
F.  Babbitt,  of  the  Boston  "  Post." 

REMARKS  OF  MR.  GEORGE  F.  BABBITT. 

Mr.  President.,  Sons  and  DaiigJiters  of  Barre., —  After  lis- 
tening to  all  that  has  been  so  eloquently  said  and  sung  in  honor 
of  Barre  and  of  the  many  virtues  of  her  sons  and  daughters,  I  feel 
all  the  more  deeply  the  importance  of  the  sentiment  to  which, 
Mr.  President,  you  have  honored  me  with  the  request  to  respond. 
Looking  around  me  upon  this  joyful  company,  assembled  from 
far  and  from  near  to  participate  in  the  festivities  attending  the 
one  hundredth  birthday  of  our  native  town,  the  thought  occurs  to 
me  that  if  the  tree  is  to  be  known  by  its  fruit  a  grand  and  beau- 
tiful tree  it  must  have  been.  Of  the  personal,  or  even  of  the 
public,  history  of  Col.  Isaac  Barre,  but  short  and  imperfect  notices 


198  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

have  been  written.  He  boasted  none  of  the  titles  of  nobility,  but 
was  one  of  nature's  noblemen,  living  in  an  era  and  country  in 
which  the  symbols  of  high  birth  too  often  went  for  far  more  than 
personal  merit  or  achievement.  He  was  born  in  Dublin  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  year  1726,  the  exact  date  of  his  birth,  I  am  sorry 
to  say,  not  being  recorded.  His  parents  were  refugees  from 
France,  and  we  are  told  that  his  father,  Peter  Barre,  was  settled 
by  the  Bishop  of  Clogher  in  a  small  shop  in  Dublin,  his  wife  hav- 
ing earned  the  bishop's  favor  by  nursing  one  of  his  children. 
Isaac's  youthful  ambition  was  evidently  a  high  one,  despite  his 
humble  birth,  for  the  records  of  Trinity  College,  Dublin,  show 
him  to  have  entered  that  institution  as  a  student  at  the  early  age 
of  fourteen.  Intending  him  for  the  law,  his  father,  who  appears 
to  have  been  getting  on  in  the  world,  sent  him  to  London,  where 
he  entered  his  name  in  one  of  the  Inns  of  Court.  Barre,  how- 
ever, seems  to  have  disliked  his  profession  ;  for  when  he  was  only 
twenty  years  of  age  he  obtained  a  commission  as  ensign  in  the 
army,  and  went  with  his  regiment  to  the  Continent.  He  was 
subsequently  ordered  to  Canada,  where  he  remained  until  the 
surrender  of  Montreal. 

It  was  during  the  long  war  against  the  French  in  Canada 
that  the  personal  career  of  Barre  became  more  clearly  defined. 
The  first  step  to  his  rise  in  his  profession  was  the  patronage 
he  received  from  the  immortal  General  Wolfe,  who  appears  to 
have  admired  our  young  officer,  and  to  have  honored  him  with 
frequent  promotion.  He  became  a  lieutenant,  a  major  of  bri- 
gade, and  finally,  during  the  siege  of  Qiiebec,  his  rank  was  that 
of  an  adjutant-general.  And  here  occurs  a  notable  incident  in 
the  career  of  young  Barre.  Upon  tlie  fatal  Plains  of  Abraham 
Wolfe  received  his  death  wound,  and  Barre  was  severely  wounded 
in  the  face,  so  as  to  destroy  the  use  of  his  left  eye,  and  ultimately 
induce  total  blindness.  He  carried  the  bullet  in  his  head  to  the 
day  of  his  death,  and  on  more  than  one  occasion  in  his  subse- 
quent career  he  proudly  alluded  to  it  as  a  tangible  evidence  of  his 
early  patriotism.  In  West's  celebrated  picture  of  the  "Death  of 
Wolfe,"  Barre  is  prominently  represented  among  the  group  of 
officers  around  the  dying  general  ;  and  in  placing  him  in  that 
position  the  artist  was  no  doubt  influenced  by  a  desire  to  com- 


REMARKS    OF    MR.    GEORGE    F.    BABBITT.  I99 

mcmorate  the  friendship  subsisting  between  Barre  and  his  illiis- 
tiioiis  commander.  The  death  of  Wolfe  was  disastrous  to  Barre's 
subsequent  success  in  the  army.  The  bullet  that  had  slain  the 
brave  general  likewise  shattered  the  young  soldier's  fortunes,  and 
he  was  left  to  look  out  for  himself.  Gen.  Townshend  assumed 
command  of  the  army,  and  the  shabby  manner  in  which  he 
treated  Barre  was  the  subject  of  a  scathing  letter  addressed  by 
the  slighted  soldier  to  Mr.  Pitt.  Subsequently,  however,  the 
army  of  Townshend  w^as  merged  into  that  of  General  Amherst, 
and  Barre's  new  patron  soon  rendered  him  important  service. 
The  surrender  of  Montreal,  in  1760,  completed  the  subjugation  of 
Canada,  and  Amherst  appointed  Barre  bearer  of  despatches, 
announcing  the  event  to  the  home  government.  He  arrived  in 
London  in  the  month  of  October  of  that  year,  and  immediately 
thereafter  he  entered  upon  a  new  career  in  life.  Hitherto  he  had 
served  his  country  as  a  soldier  only.  Now  he  assumes  a  place 
in  the  foremost  rank  of  statesmen  and  patriots.  It  appears  to 
,  have  been  owing  to  Lord  Shelburne's  influence  that  Col.  Barre, 
in  the  year  1761,  was  nominated  to  a  seat  in  Parliament,  where 
he  at  once  distinguished  himself  as  one  of  the  ablest  and  most 
intrepid  speakers  on  the  opposition  side  of  the  House  of  Com- 
mons. He  boldly  and  repeatedly  encountered  the  foremost  men 
of  the  times  with  fervid  eloquence  and  animation,  mingled  with  a 
degree  of  sarcasm  and  humor  which,  even  in  the  scanty  reports 
of  his  speeches,  stamp  him  as  a  highly  successful  and  accom- 
plished orator  and  debater. 

"■  Would  you  know  a  little  of  Parliament?"  wrote  Sir  Andrew 
Mitchell  to  a  friend,  at  this  time.  "  I  must  tell  you  that  Col. 
Barre,  a  soldier  of  fortune,  a  young  man  born  in  Dublin,  of 
parents  of  a  mean  condition,  his  father  and  mother  from  France 
and  established  in  a  little  grocer  shop, —  this  young  man,  found 
out,  pushed  and  brought  into  Parliament  by  Lord  Shelburne, 
had  not  sat  two  days  in  the  House  before  he  attacked  Pitt !  " 
This  circumstance  alone  is  regarded  as  of  sufficient  significance 
to  mark  him  as  a  leader  in  debate.  Pitt  was  already  great 
and  powerful  in  office,  and  it  required  great  courage  to  break 
through  the  difficulties  which  would  have  paralyzed  ordinary 
opponents.     It    was    not    this    remarkable    courage    alone,    how- 


200  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

ever,  that  made  his  name  famous.  He  was,  as  well,  an  ardent 
lover  of  liberty,  a  friend  and  champion  of  human  rights;  and  it 
is  for  this,  Mr.  President,  sons  and  daughters  of  Barre,  that  our 
town  bears  his  name,  and  that  we  honor  and  cherish  his  memory 
to-day.  His  experience,  while  serving  his  country  in  America, 
had  taught  him  to  admire  the  sterling  worth  and  character  of  the 
struggling  colonists;  and  when  an  opportunity  was  offered  him 
to  raise  his  voice  in  their  behalf,  he  did  so  with  a  vigor  and  elo- 
quence that  made  tyrants  tremble. 

In  1765?  3"  attempt  was  made  in  Parliament  to  raise  a  reve- 
nue from  the  British  colonies  in  America.  The  celebrated  Stamp 
Act  was  introduced  by  Mr.  Grenville,  and  although  popular 
with  the  people  of  Great  Britain,  it  excited  a  storm  of  indig- 
nation in  the  colonies.  Burke  declared  that  no  more  than  two 
or  three  voices  were  raised  against  the  Act,  and  there  was  but 
one  division  in  the  whole  progress  of  the  bill.  The  hopeless 
minority  in  which  he  found  himself  did  not  discourage  Barre 
from  rising  in  his  seat  to  denounce  the  infamous  measure.  In 
veply  to  Townshend,  the  most  prominent  supporter  of  the  bill, 
he  made  an  admirable  appeal  to  the  House,  v\'hich  ev^ery 
school-boy  knows  by  heart,  and  which  deserves  a  place  in  the 
memory  of  every  American.  Townshend  had  spoken  of  the 
colonists  as  "  children  planted  by  our  care,  nourished  by  our 
indulgence,  and  protected  by  our  arms."  Barre's  indignant  re- 
tort produced  a  great  sensation  in  the  House.  "  They  planted 
by  your  care.'*"  exclaimed  he.  "No!  your  oppressions  planted 
them  in  America!  They  nourished  by  your  indulgence?  They 
grew  up  by  your  neglect  of  them  !  They  protected  by  your  arms? 
The  sons  of  liberty  have  nobly  taken  up  arms  in  your  defence ! 
The  people,  I  believe,"  he  continued,  "  are  as  truly  loyal  subjects 
as  the  King  has ;  but  a  people  jealous  of  their  liberties,  and  who 
will  vindicate  them  should  they  ever  be  violated  !  "  This  memo- 
rable speech  produced  a  profound  impression  in  America  ;  and 
at  a  meeting  held  shortly  afterwards  in  Boston,  presided  over 
by  James  Otis,  a  committee,  composed  of  eminent  citizens, 
was  appointed  to  draw  up  an  address  to  Col.  Barre,  expressing 
the  sincere  thanks  of  the  citizens  for  his  noble,  generous,  and 
truly  patriotic  speech  in  behalf  of  the  colonies.     It  was  also  voted 


REMARKS    OF   MR.    GEORGE    F.    BABBITT.  20I 

that  his  picture  be  placed  in  Faneuil  Hall  as  a  standing  monu- 
ment to  all  posterity  of  the  virtue  and  justice  of  their  benefactor, 
and  as  a  lasting  proof  of  their  gratitude.  This  was  by  no  means 
the  only  effort  made  by  Col.  Barre  in  America's  behalf.  He 
fought  and  voted  for  Wilkes,  the  ever-memorable  friend  of  the 
rights  and  liberties  of  America,  and  on  all  questions  relating  to 
the  public  welfare  he  was  always  found  on  the  side  of  the  op- 
pressed. Throughout  the  administration  of  Lord  North,  during 
the  war  of  the  Revolution,  he  distinguished  himself  as  the  friend 
of  the  colonies,  always  favoring  the  noble  cause  for  which  our 
fathers  were  fighting. 

In  17S4,  just  at  the  close  of  the  American  war,  Barrd  was 
precluded  from  longer  taking  part  in  public  affairs  by  the  total 
loss  of  his  eyesight,  a  misfortune  with  which  he  had  been 
threatened  ever  since  the  engagement  at  Qiiebec.  He  finally 
retired  from  Parliament  in  179O1  ^^id  spent  the  remaining 
twelve  years  of  his  life  in  complete  retirement.  An  interesting 
anecdote  is  founded  on  the  fact  that  Lord  North  also  retired  into 
seclusion  at  about  the  same  time,  and  from  the  same  cause,  —  total 
blindness.  It  is  said  that  Barre,  being  afterwards  at  Bath,  was 
told  that  his  lordship  was  also  in  the  city,  and  Barre  replied,  with 
a  trace  of  his  former  pleasantry,  that,  though  old  antagonists,  he 
was  sure  they  would  be  glad  to  see  each  other.  During  his  polit- 
ical career,  Barre  held  various  prominent  positions  under  the 
government,  becoming  First  Lord  of  the  Board  of  Trade  under 
his  friend  and  patron,  Lord  Shelburne,  and  subsequently  Vice- 
Treasurer  of  Ireland.  He  did  not  dissolve  his  connection  with 
the  army  until  the  year  17735  when  his  political  opinions  caused 
his  claims  to  promotion  to  be  slighted  by  those  in  power.  Barre 
felt  the  insult  keenly,  and,  having  attained  the  rank  of  a  lieu- 
tenant-colonel, he  left  the  army  in  disgust.  His  title  of  colonel, 
therefore,  was  only  one  of  courtesy. 

It  is  fitting  to  mention  also  that  the  "  Letters  of  Junius,"  the 
most  celebrated  and  powerful  satires  on  the  tyranny  of  King- 
craft and  Minister-craft  that  have  ever  appeared,  have  been 
attributed  to  his  pen.  Mr.  John  Britton,  a  distinguished  Eng- 
lish author  and  antiquary,  wrote  a  pamphlet  in  support  of 
this    theory,   describing    Barre    as    a    man   of    great   moral    and 

26 


202  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

physical  courage,  a  scholar,  an  acute  politician,  and  fully  com- 
petent to  carry  out  and  complete  the  arduous  and  hazardous 
task  of  writing  those  famous  letters.  Barre  lived  and  died  a 
bachelor  ;  but  his  personal  connections,  although  almost  entirely 
political,  included  some  of  his  relations.  His  oratory  is  described 
as  having  been  powerful,  but  somewhat  coarse,  his  manner 
rugged,  his  countenance  stern,  and  his  stature  athletic. 

The  following  is  the  brief  notice  of  Col.  Barre's  death,  as 
related  in  the  "  Gentleman's  Magazine,"  under  date  July  20,  1S02  : 
'•  At  his  house  in  Stanhope  Street,  May  Fair,  after  two  days'  ill- 
ness, in  his  seventy-sixth  year,  the  Right  Honorable  Isaac  Barre, 
Clerk  of  the  Pells.  His  health  was  declining  for  a  considerable 
time  past ;  and  a  few  hoius  before  his  dissolution  he  was  seized 
with  a  paralytic  stroke,  wiiich  was  the  immediate  cause  of  his 
death.  Though  blind  for  nearly  the  last  twenty  years  of  his  life, 
he  still  continued  a  cheerfid  companion  to  the  last.  He  began  to 
distinguish  himself  as  an  orator  at  the  same  time  with  his  country- 
man, Edmund  Burke,  and  was  a  celebrated  Parliamentary  leader 
during  the  American  war.  The  office  which  has  become  vacant 
by  his  death  he  had  held  for  fifteen  or  sixteen  years,  it  having 
been  granted  to  him  during  the  early  part  of  Mr.  Pitt's  adminis- 
tration, in  order  to  save  the  country  the  expense  of  a  pension 
which  had  previously  been  granted  to  the  Colonel.  It  is  one  of 
the  largest  benefices  in  the  gift  of  tlie  minister,  worth  three  thou- 
sand pounds  a  year,  and  a  complete  sinecure.  Colonel  Bane  has 
died  possessed  of  no  more  than  twenty-four  thousand  pounds,  a 
moiety  of  which  he  has  bequeathed  to  the  Marchioness  of  Towns- 
hend." 

Such,  Mr.  President  and  fellow-citizens,  is  the  brief  story  of  the 
life  of  him  whose  name  is  indissolubly  connected  with  the  history 
of  our  dear  old  town.  There  are  many  other  noble  things  that 
might  be  said  of  him  did  time  permit ;  but  perhaps  sufficient  has 
been  narrated  to  impress  upon  your  minds  the  loftiness  of  liis 
aims  and  the  grandeur  of  his  character.  Standing  almost  alone 
on  the  side  of  liberty  and  justice,  waging  incessant  war  upon  the 
foes  of  American  independence,  and  pleading  the  cause  of  our 
fathers  with  a  power  and  earnestness  that  commanded  the  admi- 
ration of  his  opponents,  constantly  being  tempted  by  his  superiors 


REMARKS  OF  MR.  CHARLES  E.  STEVENS.      2O3 

in  Station  to  barter  his  fidelity  to  principle  in  exchange  for  royal 
favor,  but  never  yielding  one  jot  to  his  would-be  seducers,  he 
stands  the  Sumner  of  his  time,  an  ardent  and  consistent  lover  of 
freedom,  firm  and  unshaken  to  the  last.  How  fitting  it  is,  Mr. 
President,  sons  and  daughters  of  Barre,  that  all  these  sterling  virt- 
ues should  have  for  their  lasting  monument  this  prosperous  and 
thriving  town,  with  its  broad  and  fertile  acres,  its  free  and  en- 
lightened people,  and  its  noble  institutions  ! 

VII.  The  Early  Setilers  of  Barre :  Wisely  and  well  they  chose  their 
homes.  Wisely  and  well  they  laid  here  the  foundations  of  true  social 
prosperity  and  happiness,  by  honorinor  religion,  practising  morality,  giving 
to  their  children  a  good  common  education,  and  setting  them  an  example 
of  economy  without  meanness,  and  hospitality  without  extravagance. 
May  their  memory  be  kept  ever  green  with  the  residents  of  Barre  ! 

The  President.  —  A  teacher  of  our  High  School,  and 
editor  of  one  of  our  village  papers,  would  be  likely  to  know 
of  what  manner  of  men  were  the  early  settlers  of  Barre  ;  but 
when  he  indicates  his  judgment  of  them  by  taking  one  of 
the  fair  descendants  of  the  first  settler  of  the  fifth  genera- 
tion for  his  wife,  he  certainly  is  entitled  to  speak  for  them. 
I  therefore  introduce  to  you  Charles  E.  Stevens,  Esq., 
of  Worcester. 

'  REMARKS   OF   MR.   CHARLES   E.    STEVENS. 

]\Ir.  President^  —  How  shall  I  respond  to  30ur  sentiment? 
The  early  settlers  of  Barre,  —  has  not  their  case  already  been 
settled  by  the  distinguished  orator  of  the  day.^"  I  think  he  has  so 
effectually  reaped  that  field  that  little  is  left  for  me  but  the  work 
of  a  gleaner.  And,  even  so,  I  am  not  like  to  fare  as  well  as  Ruth, 
the  Moabitess,  to  whom  he  referred,  for  she  had  a  generous  Boaz, 
who  was  careful  to  leave  some  ears  of  wheat  for  her  to  gather  up. 
But  our  Boaz  knew  that  no  pretty  maiden,  or  widow  even,  was  to 
glean  after  him,  and  so,  I  suppose,  he  did  not  feel  called  on  to  be 
so  particular.  However,  at  the  risk  of  some  repetition,  I  will 
proceed  with  what  I  had  to  say. 

We  all  know,  sir,  that  New  England  was  chiefly  planted  with 
Puritan  seed  from  Old  England.     But,  here  and  there,  seed  of  a 


204  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

different  sort  was  scattered.  In  Oxford,  for  example,  there  was  a 
settlement  of  French  Huguenots.  Elsewhere,  in  various  places, 
there  was  a  liberal  sprinkling  of  so-called  Scotch-Irish,  or,  more 
properly,  Irish-Scotch.  Lincoln,  in  his  history,  says  that  a  hun- 
dred families  of  these  people  came  to  this  country  in  a  body  about 
the  beginning  of  the  last  century.  Some  of  them  founded  the 
town  of  Londonderry,  New  Hampshire,  one  of  whose  descend- 
ants was  the  late  Horace  Greeley.  Some  found  a  home  in 
Boston,  others  in  Pelham  ;  and  a  considerable  body  pitched  in 
Worcester.  Of  the  latter,  a  portion  pushed  on  into  the  wilder- 
ness and  laid  the  foundations  of  Barre. 

But  who  and  what  were  these  Irish-Scotch?  They  were  sim- 
ply Scotchmen  born  in  Ireland.  This,  to  be  sure,  sounds  some- 
what like  an  Irish  bull  ;  but,  nevertheless,  it  states  the  precise  fact. 
These  men  were  the  descendants  of  Scotchmen  who,  in  the  pre- 
ceding century,  had  been  forced  to  leave  their  own  country  on 
account  of  their  religion,  and  had  found  a  home  in  the  north  of 
Ireland.  There,  however,  they  were  as  oil  in  the  midst  of  water. 
The  native  Irish  were  of  a  different  blood  and  a  different  religion, 
and  there  was  little,  if  any,  intermingling.  But  Ireland  proved  to 
be  only  a  temporary  home.  The  Scots  were  still  dissenters  from 
the  church  established  there  also  ;  hence  they  were  oppressed  ; 
and  hence  their  emigration  to  this  country.  And  a  good  thing  for 
this  country  it  was.  Not  to  speak  now  of  other  things,  let  me 
remind  you  that  to  them  it  is  we  owe  the  introduction  of  the  flax 
spinning-wheel  and  the  manufacture  of  linen,  and,  better  still,  the 
potato,  that  prime  article  of  food  on  all  our  tables. 

Of  these  Scotch  who  settled  Barre  were  the  Cunninghams,  the 
Nursses,  the  Forbeses,  the  McFarlands,  the  Blacks,  and  the 
Caldwells.  Earliest  of  all  was  James  Caldwell,  who  is  said  to 
have  built  the  first  habitation  for  civilized  man  in  the  town.  Then 
came  William,  his  father,  a  more  notable  person,  who,  as  an 
honorary  testimonial  of  his  services,  had  been  made  free  of  tax- 
ation throughout  the  British  provinces.*      That  was  a  testimo- 

*  Lincoln's  History  of  Worcester,  page  49.  I  assume  that  the  William 
Caldwell  who  is  named  by  Lincoln  is  the  same  William  Caldwell  who 
settled  in  Barre,  for  the  following  reasons:  i.  The  William  Caldwell,  and 
the  only  emigrant  of  that  name  mentioned  by  Lincoln,  was  of  the  com- 


REMARKS  OF  MR.  CHARLES  E.  STEVENS.      205 

nial  of  service  ;  but  he  was  careful  also  to  bring  with  him  a  testi- 
monial of  moral  and  Christian  character,  the  original  of  which, 
written  upon  parchment,  signed  by  the  minister  of  Dunboe,  and 
dated  in  the  year  1718,  it  has  been  my  privilege  to  inspect.*  Ex- 
tremely poor  when  he  came,  by  his  rare  energy  and  enterprise  he 
accumulated  great  wealth,  and  became  one  of  the  largest  land- 
holders in  his  day.  He  lived  to  be  a  century  old,  wanting  one 
year,  and  may  justly  be  styled  the  patriarch  of  the  town.  His 
son  John,  who  came  over  with  him,  also  lived  to  be  near  a  cen- 
tury old.  Representing  the  town  for  many  years  in  the  General 
Court,  and  its  leading  magistrate  in  his  own  day,  he  was  altogether 
the  most  conspicuous  figure  of  the  family.  And  here  I  must  not 
fail  to  notice  the  suggestion  which  has  been  made,  that  John 
Caldwell,  by  signing  with  others  a  petition  for  an  "  accommoda- 
tion "  with  the  mother-country,  had  incurred  the  distrust  of  his 
fellow-townsmen.  I  think,  sir,  there  is  a  very  natural  explanation 
of  his  course  in  that  matter.  He  had  often  sat  in  the  General 
Court,  he  had  held  the  King's  commission,  he  had  repeatedly  taken 
the  oath  of  allegiance  to  King  George  ;  and  the  inevitable  effect  of 
all  this  was  to  be^et  a  conservative  habit  of  mind.     We  have  had 

pany  of  Scots  who  came  to  this  country  in  1718,  and  settled  in  Worcester. 
2.  The  William  Caldwell  who  settled  in  Barre  came  to  this  country  in 
1 718,  as  his  certificate  of  church-membership  attests.  3.  He  went  from 
Worcester  to  Barre.  The  conclusion  is  most  natural,  if  not  inevitable, 
that  the  two  were  one  and  the  same  person.  There  is  a  difficulty  about 
the  exemption  from  taxation.  From  the  context  in  Lincoln's  account,  it 
might  be  inferred  that  the  exemption  was  for  services  at  the  siege  of  Lon- 
donderry, in  1689,  when  William  Caldwell  of  Barre  could  not  have  been 
more  than  five  years  old.  But  we  are  not  compelled  to  adopt  such  an 
inference. 

*  The  original  was  in  the  possession  of  the  late  Seth  Caldwell,  Esq.,  of 
Worcester,  a  great-grandson,  and  was  as  follows:  "The  bearer,  William 
Caldwell,  his  wife,  Sarah  Morrison,  with  his  children,  being  designed  to  go 
to  New  England  in  America  —  These  are  therefore  to  testifie  they  leave  us 
without  scandal,  lived  with  us  soberly  and  inoftensively,  and  may  be  ad- 
mitted to  Church  priviledges.     Given   at  Dunboe  Aprile  9,  1718,  by 

Jas.  Woodside,  Jr.  Minister." 

Dunboe  is  a  parish  in  the  barony  of  Coleraine,  county  of  London- 
derry, Ireland.  Carlisle,  Topog.  of  Ireland.  Joyce,  in  his  Irish  Names 
of  Places  (Dublin,  1S71),  says  that  "Dunboe"  means  "fortress  or  hill  of 
the  cow." 


206  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

eminent  examples  of  the  same  thing  in  our  own  day.  But  if  John 
Caldwell  was  slow  to  sever  the  bond  that  bound  us  to  the  mother- 
country,  he  was  swift,  after  it  had  been  severed,  to  secure  to  every 
man  his  rights.  For  remember,  it  was  he  who  aided  and  abetted 
the  slave  Quock  in  escaping  from  his  master,  and  gave  him  shel- 
ter in  his  own  family.  And  he  it  was  who  became  the  prime 
mover  in  that  first  memorable  trial  under  our  own  constitution, 
the  result  of  which  certified  to  all  the  world  that  slavery  had  for 
ever  ceased  to  exist  within  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts. 
Under  the  new  order  of  things,  he  and  his  were  trusted  and  hon- 
ored as  under  the  old  ;  and,  in  illustration,  I  may  mention  his  son 
William,  who  in  the  last  years  of  the  last  century  was  the  sheriff 
of  the  county,  and  of  whom  the  late  Governor  Lincoln  was  wont 
to  say  that,  of  all  the  sheriffs  he  had  known,  William  Caldwell 
was  the  model  sheriff.  Let  me  add  only,  that  while  this  stock 
has  been  transplanted  into  five  or  six  other  States  of  the  Union, 
where  it  has  taken  root  and  flourished,  all  here  are  witnesses  that 
it  has  never  ceased  to  flourish  and  bear  fruit  on  this  its  original 
soil. 

If,  now,  we  turn  to  the  settlers  of  English  blood,  we  first  meet 
"with  Joshua  Osgood,  conspicuous  as  the  first  of  that  race  who 
settled  here,  and  as  the  ancestor  of  more  than  a  thousand  known 
descendants.  Then  come  the  families  of  Jenkins,  Rowland, 
White,  who  are  said  to  trace  their  origin  to  the  Pilgrims  of  the 
Mayflower.  Next  are  the  Lees,  a  band  of  brothers  whose  frater- 
nal affection  led  them  to  establish  themselves  in  neighborly  con- 
tiguity in  a  part  of  the  town  hence  known  as  "  the  Lee  quarter." 
Of  them  sprang  General  Samuel  Lee,  the  boy-soldier,  carrying  a 
musket  in  the  battles  of  the  Revolution  at  the  age  of  thirteen  ; 
storming  a  redoubt  at  Yorktown  ;  a  veteran  in  his  teens,  and  per- 
haps the  most  distinguished  man  the  town  has  produced.  And 
who  of  us,  at  mention  of  the  name  of  Lee,  will  not  on  this  occa- 
sion call  to  mind  that  last  conspicuous  representative  of  the  family, 
the  late  Colonel  Artemas  Lee,  of  Templeton,  also  a  son  of  Barre, 
—  a  man  who,  for  native  force,  clear  insight,  independence,  indomi- 
table will,  and  all  the  qualities  that  go  to  make  a  leader  of  men, 
had  not  his  superior  in  the  county?  Around  these,  as  well  as 
other  names,  doubtless  cluster  interesting  family  histories  and 
traditions,  which  it  would  give  me  pleasure  to  rehearse  were  they 


REMARKS  OF  MR.  CHARLES  E.  STEVENS.      207 

at  my  command,  and  which  I  trust  will  be  forthcoming  at  the 
proper  time  and  from  the  proper  source. 

Of  such  were  the  early  settlers  of  Barre,  —  Scotch  Covenanters 
and  English  Puritans.  What  better  seed  with  which  to  plant  a 
town?  Lord  Bacon  says,  "  It  is  a  shameful  and  unblessed  thing 
to  take  the  scum  of  people,  and  wicked  and  condemned  men,  to 
be  the  people  with  which  you  plant."  No  such  shameful  and  un- 
blessed thing  marked  the  origin  of  this  town.  Here  there  were 
neither  penal  convicts  nor  yet  idle  gentlemen.  Barre  was  neither 
a  Botany  Bay  nor  a  Virginia. 

And  now,  if  we  ask  what  these  men  did,  I  might  reply  in  the 
words  of  that  inscription  in  St.  Paul's  Cathedral  to  the  memory  of 
its  architect,  Sir  Christopher  Wren  :  "  If  you  seek  his  monument, 
look  around  you  !  "  And  if  you  seek  their  monument,  I  say,  look 
around  you.  This  town,  sir,  is  their  monument,  —  built  by  them- 
selves. They  felled  its  forests,  mellowed  its  soil,  outlined  its 
features,  impressed  its  character,  introduced  civilized  life  within 
its  savage  borders.  All  that  we  now  see  was  not,  of  course,  their 
work  ;  but  what  they  did  made  possible  and  easy  what  succeeding 
generations  did.  They  labored,  and  other  men  entered  into  their 
labors.  They  bore  the  brunt.  It  is  the  first  step  that  costs,  and 
they  took  that  first  step.  "  Plantations,"  says  Lord  Bacon  again, 
"are  among  heroical  works ;"  and  I  would,  sir,  that  we  might 
know  just  where  stood  that  first  log  cabin  built  by  James  Cald- 
well, buttressed  against  a  rock,  and  occupied  by  him  during  one 
whole  season  in  brave  solitude.  That,  I  think,  is  a  kind  of  heroi- 
cal picture,  worthy  to  fill  a  panel  of  any  monument  that  might  be 
erected  to  the  fathers  of  the  town.  Doubtless  the  dwellings  which 
immediately  followed  that  first  cabin  were,  if  not  like  it,  yet  suffi- 
ciently plain  and  primitive  ;  still,  at  a  comparatively  early  period, 
the  native  energy  and  good  taste  of  the  fothers  had  developed  the 
town  into  much  of  the  beauty  and  fine  appearance  which  it  wears 
to-day.  More  than  eighty  years  ago,  Peter  Whitney,  tke  historian 
of  the  county,  described  it  in  terms  tiiat  would  fitly  describe  it 
now.  "  The  pleasantness  of  Barre,"  said  he,  "  consists  in  the 
richness  and  fertility  of  the  land,  and  the  large,  handsome,  well- 
finished  buildings  of  all  kinds."  And  he  adds  that  '"  the  town 
then  had  the  largest  meeting-house  in  the  county."     "  Here,  too," 


208  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

he  continues,  "  they  fat  great  multitudes  of  cattle  and  make  tlie 
best  of  beef;"  and  "  it  is  supposed  that  more  butter  and  cheese  is 
carried  from  hence  to  market  than  from  any  other  town  of  the 
same  extent."  The  best  of  huid,  the  best  of  beef,  the  most  but- 
ter and  cheese,  the  best  buiklings,  the  biggest  meeting-house  in 
the  county!  And  this  was  nearly  a  century  ago.  After  such  a 
picture,  we  are  prepared  for  the  further  statement,  from  the  same 
authority,  that  "  the  town  was  then  one  of  the  foremost  in  the 
county,  there  being  but  three  others  which  paid  a  larger  State 
tax."  The  valuation  tables  of  that  period  are  instructive  on  this 
point.  From  them  it  appears  that  in  1772,  two  years  before  the 
incorporation  which  we  to-day  commemorate,  Barre  was  only 
the  fourteenth  town  in  the  county.  In  177S,  four  years  after  the  in- 
corporation, it  had  grown  to  be  the  seventh  ;  in  1782,  it  was  the 
sixth;  in  17S6,  the  fifth;  and  in  1793,  the  fourth.  In  exactly 
twenty-one  years,  the  period  of  a  boy's  majority,  the  town  had  gone 
up  on  the  valuation  list  from  the  fourteenth  place  to  the  fourth. 
Yes,  sir,  Barre,  almost  the  youngest  town  in  the  county,  then  ranked 
next  after  Worcester,  almost  the  oldest.  And  this  rapid  growth,  this 
culminating  prosperity,  —  and  here  is  my  point,  ■_ —  this  growth  and 
prosperity  may  fairly  be  credited  to  the  early  settlers,  some  of 
whom  were  still  lingering  on  the  stage.  For,  not  to  instance 
others,  John  Caldwell,  who  saw  the  beginning  of  the  town,  and 
died  in  1S07,  lived  more  than  sixteen  years  after  the  erection  of 
that  largest  meeting-house  in  the  county  celebrated  by  Whitney. 

But  I  am  trespassing.  Let  me  say,  in  conclusion,  that  if  the 
relative  position  of  Barre  is  now  somewhat  changed;  if  circum- 
stances beyond  her  control  compel  her  to  halt  and  wait,  I  know 
of  no  town  which  can  better  afford  to  wait.  Her  resources  are 
ample,  and  are  within  herself.  Here  she  can  sit  and  feed  upon 
the  fatness  of  her  hills  and  bide  her  time.  And  that  time,  sir,  — 
the  time  of  her  enlargement,  —  cannot  be  distant.  We  shall  yet 
see  the  blaek  plume  of  the  locomotive  coming  up  these  hill-slopes, 
and,  like  the  ancient  pillar  of  cloud  by  day,  guiding  the  multi- 
tude to  the  very  centre  and  heart  of  this  land  of  promise. 

VIII.  Soldiers  atid  Soits  of  Barre  in  late  War,  living  and  dead :  In 
rank  near  the  head  of  the  column,  and  in  varied  parts  all  the  way  down 
the  line,  the  sons  of  Barre  have  well  illustrated  the  character  and  upheld 


I 


REMARKS    OF   COLONEL   SIBLEY.  '  209 

the  honor  of  the  town  ;  and  to  the  heroic  dead  and  the  honored  survivors 
of  that  fearful  contest  we  pay  the  tribute  due  to  the  brave  defenders  of 
their  country's  freedom,  and  to  the  instrumentalities  in  the  hands  of 
Providence  of  ri,<i;hting  the  wrongs  of  centuries,  and  wiping  out  slavery 
from  the  scroll  of  the  republic. 

Responded  to  by  Colonel  H.  R.  Sibley,  of  Boston,  a 
native  of  Barre. 

REMARKS   OF   COLONEL   SIBLEY. 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen^  — I  have  been  prepared  to  assert  and 
defend  the  statement  for  a  great  many  years,  tliat  Barre  had 
the  bravest  men  and  the  fairest  women  of  any  town  on  God's 
footstool ;  and  I  have  found  to-day  that  you  have  the  virtue  of 
endurance,  for  you  have  sat  here  constantly  for  seven  hours  to 
celebrate  your  centennial.  I  am  proud  that  on  this  occasion  I 
can  say  "  I  am  a  son  of  Barre,"  although  I  was  not  consulted  in 
the  matter  ;  and,  so  far  as  I  was  concerned,  I  might  have  been  born 
anywhere  else.  But  I  xvas  born  in  Barre,  and  to-day  I  thank  God 
for  it.  There  is  something  about  the  people  here  I  like.  There 
is  no  meanness  about  them. 

But  to  speak  of  the  soldiers  of  the  war,  it  does  appear  to  me 
that  my  subject  has  been  pretty  thoroughly  scratched  over  al- 
ready to-day,  and  I  don't  know  that  there  is  much  left  for  me 
to  say.  Yet  I  don't  propose  to  abandon  the  subject  at  this  early 
stage.  Now,  sir,  reference  has  been  made  to  the  fact  that  the 
men  who  participated  in  the  act  by  which  Barre  was  organ- 
ized were  at  once  required  to  grapple  with  a  very  serious  ques- 
tion. It  was  this :  Should  they  continue  to  own  allegiance  to  the 
mother-country,  or  should  they  stand  up  upon  the  side  of  the 
colonies?  They  were  Englishmen,  or  the  children  of  Englishmen, 
and  shared  in  all  the  traditions  and  prejudices  of  that  proud  peo- 
ple ;  but  you  know  that  very  early  they  took  their  stand  in  behalf 
of  Liberty  and  the  struggling  colonies,  that  they  possessed  in  their 
hearts  the  great  virtue  of  patriotism  and  the  equally  great  virtue 
of  endurance.  For  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  struggle, 
in  spite  of  disaster  and  defeat,  they  never  had  a  doubt  but  that 
they  would  succeed,  and  at  last,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  they  did 
succeed.     They  laid,  in   common  with  their  brethren  of  other 

27 


2IO  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

towns,  the  foundations  of  the  republic  broad  and  deep  and  strong. 
And  so,  for  three-quarters  of  a  century  the  government  continued 
to  bless  this  people,  and  to  rejoice  the  hearts  of  thousands  that 
panted  for  liberty  all  over  the  Vi^orld  ;  and  yet  there  was  a  serious 
defect  in  it,  because  the  fathers  had  compromised  with  evil. 
They  had  permitted  the  institution  of  slavery  to  exist  in  this,  the 
boasted  land  of  freedom.  "  Righteousness  exalteth  a  nation,  but 
sin  is  a  reproach  to  any  people."  So  for  a  long  time  we  were 
troubled  with  dissension  and  the  fear  of  disunion.  We  were 
afraid  to  grapple  with  the  monster  evil,  but  at  last  it  reared  its 
awful  head  in  rebellion.  There  came  at  length  a  call  to  the 
loyal  men  of  the  republic,  one  which  had  been  dreaded,  because 
nobody  could  tell  how  we  should  meet  it.  Men  said  that  here, 
under  this  system  of  government,  we  had  no  throne,  or  other 
centre  around  which  loyalty  could  gather ;  that  we  were  so  absorbed 
in  the  pursuit  of  gain  that  we  were  dead  to  loftier  aims.  Indeed 
we  did  not  know  ourselves  what  we  could  stand.  We  knew 
that  no  words  could  adequately  express  our  veneration  for  Amer- 
ican institutions,  our  reverence  for  the  flag ;  our  love  for  the  land 
of  our  birth  ;  its  grand  old  hills,  which  sit  stern  and  moveless  for- 
ever, its  majestic  rivers,  and  its  broad  fields  and  prairies,  green  in 
spring-time  but  golden  in  harvest.  Yes,  as  all  these  rose  up 
before  us,  we  knew  that  we  loved  our  country,  but  we  did  not 
know  how  much  till  it  was  threatened  with  destruction.  At 
last  the  call  came.  It  came  to  the  sons  of  Barre,  both  to  those 
who  lived  here  and  to  those  who  had  left  their  native  town. 
They  heard  it ;  nobly  they  responded  to  it.  We  very  soon  proved 
that  a  government  like  this,  wliere  the  people  are  sovereigns,  and 
where  no  man  calls  another  man  "  master,"  was  not  only  capable 
of  promoting  the  growth,  prosperity,  and  happiness  of  the  people, 
but  that  it  was  the  strongest  to  resist  both  external  and  internal 
attacks  that  was  ever  set  up  among  men. 

I  have  said  the  call  came  to  the  sons  of  Barre.  I  have,  since 
I  received  the  notice  that  I  was  to  speak  on  this  occasion,  been  to 
some  little  trouble  to  ascertain  what  kind  of  a  response  the  sons  of 
Barre  who  resided  here  made.  I  find  there  were  203  men,  out  of 
your  population  of  about  2,600,  who  enlisted  in  the  army  or  navy, 
and  served  a  portion  or  the  whole  of  the  time  during  the  war.    Two 


REMARKS    OF    COLONEL    SIBLEY.  2TI 

hundred  and  three  men,  I  think,  made  twenty-nine  more  than  were 
required  to  furnish  all  the  calls  made  upon  you.  Of  these  203, 
eleven  were  commissioned  officers,  and  upon  looking  over  the 
town  record,  in  which  this  is  all  set  forth,  I  find  they  served  in 
most,  if  not  in  all,  our  great  armies.  If  there  is  any  thing  con- 
nected with  the  great  struggle  that  will  illuminate  the  page  of 
history,  and  thrill  every  American  heart  with  pride  in  the  great 
campaigns  of  Sherman  and  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  the 
battles  of  Newbern,  Antietam,  Wilderness,  and  Fredericksburg, 
you,  as  sons  and  daughters  of  Barre,  have  a  right  to  a  participation 
in  the  glory  of  it.  For  you  were  represented  there.  The  sons  of 
Barre,  on  all  those  and  many  other  fields,  did  their  whole  duty  ; 
and  many  of  them  have  watered  the  southern  soil  with  their  blood. 
By  their  efforts,  united  with  those  who  went  out  from  other  towns, 
other  counties,  and  other  commonwealths,  we  were  at  last,  by  the 
great  favor  of  God,  permitted  to  preserve  this  country,  which  had 
come  down  to  us  as  a  precious  heritage,  to  be  transmitted  in 
turn  to  our  children.  The  sentiment  to  which  I  am  responding 
makes  reference  to  the  survivors  of  the  war  as  well  as  to  those 
"who  have  passed  on.  I  think  I  may  say  and  express  the  senti- 
ment which  animates  every  heart  here,  —  every  man,  woman,  and 
child  within  the  sound  of  my  voice,  —  that  I  sincerely  hope  those 
who  served  in  the  army  or  navy  may  live  long  to  enjoy  the  bless- 
ings which  a  strong  and  just  government  confers,  and  to  receive 
the  gratitude  of  their  fellow-citizens. 

I  have  thought  that  there  must  be  many  persons  here  to-day 
who,  when  these  matters  were  referred  to,  had  a  pang  of  regret 
that  some  loved  one  was  missing  here  to-day.  The  town  of 
Barre  has  with  great  liberality  provided  a  splendid  monument, 
upon  which  are  inscribed  the  names  of  fifty-nine  of  her  sons  who 
lost  their  lives  during  the  war.  Of  course  this  embraces  the  names 
of  only  those  who  resided  here.  I  think  an  equal  number  of  those 
who  are  identified  with  the  town  either  by  birth  or  adoption,  but 
who  entered  the  service  from  other  places,  will  be  found  to  have 
lost  their  lives  in  the  war.  By  this  I  mean,  that  fifty-nine  does  not 
represent  more  than  fifty  per  cent  of  the  men  whom  Barre  has  a 
right  to  claim.  I  want  to  make  a  simple  reference  to  the  organi- 
zation of  the  men  in  the  place.     Two  hundred  and  three  men,  I 


212  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

have  told  you,  served.  Co.  K.,  Tw^enty-first  Massachusetts,  a  three 
years'  regiment,  had  thirty-nine  Barre  men  in  it.  The  regiment 
was  mustered  in  July  19,  1861.  They  were  engaged  at  Roanoke 
Island,  Newbern,  Second  Bull  Run,  Antietam,  Fredericksburg, 
Knoxville,  the  Wilderness,  and  Petersburg.  Of  the  thirty-nine, 
four  were  reported  to  have  been  killed  outright,  besides  a  consid- 
erable number  who  died  in  consequence  of  exposure,  climate,  or 
other  causes.  I  have  been  told  that  the  departure  of  that  com- 
pany created  a  profound  sensation  here  ;  that  the  people  of  both 
sexes  and  of  all  ages,  breaking  down  the  bounds  of  political  party 
and  social  condition,  came  out  in  order  to  testify  their  respect  and 
their  love  for  those  men  who  were  willing  to  take  their  lives  in 
their  hands  and  go  out  in  vindication  of  their  country,  —  that  they 
departed  amid  the  tears  of  the  women  and  the  benedictions  of  the 
old  men.  Company  K.  of  the  Forty-second  regiment,  organized 
for  nine  months'  service,  contained  thirty-three  Barre  men.  They 
were  mustered  in  October  14,  1S63.  Three  of  them  died  from 
disease.  Company  F.  of  the  Fifty-third  regiment  contained  fifty- 
four  Barre  men,  and  was  mustered  in  October  17,  1S63.  It  was 
the  fortune  of  that  regiment  to  do  a  larger  amount  of  service 
and  to  lose  a  larger  percentage  of  its  men  than  any  other  nine 
months'  regiment.  Eleven  men  lost,  six  killed  in  action,  and  five 
died  from  wounds  or  disease.  Captain  John  G.  Mudge  —  God 
bless  him  !  — was  in  command  of  that  company.  He  ought  to  be 
here  to-day,  and  if  you  are  the  men  I  think  you  are,  you  will  have 
him  stand  up,  so  that  you  may  testify  your  respect  for  him.  About 
thirty  men  served  in  the  Thirty-fourth,  and  the  remainder  were 
scattered  among  ditierent  regiments  and  batteries. 

I  have  said  that  there  must  be  more  or  less  persons  here  who 
have  a  pang  of  regret  that  a  brother  or  son  or  husband  is  not  here 
to-day  to  join  in  this  centennial.  It  happens  in  some  cases  that 
they  don't  know  just  where  the  remains  of  the  loved  one  repose  ; 
but  they  have  this  consolation,  at  any  rate,  that  whether  they 
repose  here  among  their  friends  and  kindred,  or  whether  they 
sleep  in  the  valleys  or  on  the  mountains  of  the  South,  or  are 
rocked  in  the  cradle  of  the  deep,  far,  far  o'erhead  the  jewelled 
stars  are  keeping  God's  watch  above  them.  His  hand  reaches 
very  wide  ;  and  they  shall  all  be  gathered.     Though  you  cannot 


REMARKS    OF    COLONEL    SIBLEY.  213 

see  the  form   of  your  precious  one,  —  fair  temple  of  manliness 
and  honor  as  he  was, — yet  may  you  think  of  him,  with  — 

"  His  white  tent  pitched  on  the  beautiful  plain, 
Where  the  tumult  of  battle  comes  never  again  ; 
Where  the  smoke  of  the  war-cloud  ne'er  darkens  the  air, 
Nor  the  spirit  is  troubled  by  the  shadow  of  care." 

To  those  who  were  lost  in  the  war,  I  know  this  people  have 
the  warmest  gratitude  ;  and  although  they  have  erected  a  hand- 
some monument  to  their  memory,  their  best  monument  shall  be, 
their  country  redeemed,  and  at  last,  thank  God,  wholly  free. 

Now,  then,  Mr.  President,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  there  is  a 
lesson  to  be  derived  from  all  this,  —  from  the  toil  and  labor  and 
sacrifice  it  cost  to  preserve  this  country  for  transmission  to  our 
children  ;  and  I  don't  know  that  I  can  do  better  than  to  give  you 
the  words  of  President  Lincoln,  spoken  on  the  field  of  Gettysburg. 
The  love  we  bore  that  great  man,  and  the  appropriate  character 
of  his  language  on  that  occasion,  give  it  great  significance  and 
power.  He  said  :  "  The  world  will  little  note,  nor  long  remember, 
what  we  say  here  ;  but  it  can  never  forget  what  they  did  here. 
It  is  for  us,  the  living,  to  be  here  dedicated  to  the  great  task 
remaining  before  us  ;  to  take  from  these  honored  graves  increased 
devotion  to  the  cause  for  which  they  here  gave  the  last  full  meas- 
ure of  their  devotion  ;  that  we  here  highly  resolve  that  the  dead 
shall  not  have  died  in  vain  ;  that  the  nation  shall,  under  God, 
have  a  new  birth  of  freedom  ;  and  that  the  government  of  the 
people,  by  the  peo^Dle,  and  for  the  people,  shall  not  perish  from 
the  earth."  * 

IX.  Old  Men  and  Women  of  Ba?'re  :  Worthy  representatives  of  a  past 
generation.  Honored  in  old  age  for  their  sterling  worth  no  less  than  the 
respect  and  deference  due  from  youth  and  middle  life.  Fortunate  in  being 
permitted  to  witness  this  day.  May  the  evening  of  their  lives  be  calm  as 
a  summer's  morning,  and  their  final  sleep  the  sleep  of  the  just. 

The  President. — On  this  platform,  as  the  First  Vice- 
President,  there  sits  an  honored  citizen  of  the  town,  whose 
birthday  came  very  near  to  the  day  we   celebrate,  whose 

*  In  obedience  to  the  suggestion  of  this  speaker,  the  President  presented 
Capt.  Mudge  to  the  audience,  who  received  him  with  three  hearty  cheers. 


214  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

father  and  grandfather  were  among  the  first  settlers,  who 
has  for  near  an  hundred  years  gone  in  and  out  among  this 
people,  in  all  the  varied  relations  of  life,  so  as  to  win  uni- 
versal respect,  and  who,  connected  as  he  is  with  the  memo- 
ries of  the  past,  still  retains  his  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the 
present,  and  honors  this  day  by  riding  on  horseback  at 
the  head  of  the  mounted  escort  that  would  have  escorted 
the  procession  through  the  streets  but  for  the  rain,  though 
ninety-two  years  have  passed  over  his  head.  I  greet  him 
here  to-day,  and  introduce  to  you  Mr.  Francis  Rice. 

REMARKS   OF   MR.  FRANCIS   RICE. 

Mr.  Presldetit^ — I  feel  glad  so  many  of  my  aged  friends  are 
able  to  be  here  to  witness  the  events  of  this  historic  day.  Age 
has  wrinkled  our  brows  and  whitened  our  locks,  but  none  of  us 
remember  a  hundred  years. 

I  can  remember  when  the  centre  of  Barre  was  a  small  place  ; 
the  common  was  about  one  acre,  lying  on  the  east  side  of  Peters- 
ham road ;  on  this  was  the  meeting-house  and  school-house. 
Around  this  acre  was  one  store  and  dwelling-house  connected, 
a  barn,  a  few  horse-sheds,  and  two  taverns,  and  but  few  buildings 
near  the  centre.  The  first  house  on  the  Dana  road  was  on  the 
Houghton  hill.  On  the  Petersham  road  was  Dr.  Brooks's  house, 
near  where  J.  F.  Woods  lives  ;  the  next  was  Esquire  Bent's, 
where  Lyman  Rice  lives.  On  the  Templeton  road  there  was 
no  house  between  the  common  and  the  Samuel  Bacon  place, 
where  Willard  Fessenden  lives.  What  there  is  of  Barre  built 
up  since  then  is  within  my  recollection. 

I  rejoice  to  see  so  many  old  residents  of  Barre  present  to  par- 
ticipate in  our  social  meeting.  May  you  have  a  pleasant  time, 
and  a  safe  return  to  your  respective  homes. 

We  shall  soon  part;  many  of  us  will  never  meet  again  in  this 
world. 

May  we  all  meet  again  in  the  fold  of  the  Living  God,  no  wan- 
derer lost. 

X.  The  Clergy  :  'E.vtrywhtvQforefJtost  in  influencing  for  good  the  gener- 
ations of  men,  and  in  Barre  not  behind.     We  cherish  the  memory  of  a 


REMARKS    OF    REV.    WILLIAM    CRAWFORD.  215 

Dana  and  Thompson,  of  Storrs  and  Bullard,  and  Fay  and  Peck,  of  Cate 

and  Walker,  and  all  the  others  whose  ministrations  here  have  received 
their  reward  in  the  great  hereafter ;  and  to  all  who,  having  served  their  God 
and  their  fellow-man  for  a  season  here,  have  passed  to  other  fields  of  labor, 
we  send  a  hearty  all  hail  ! 

Responded  to  by  Rev.  William  Crawford,  a  native  of 
Barre,  now  of  Green  Bay,  Wisconsin. 

REMARKS    OF   REV.    WILLIAM   CRAWFORD. 

In  behalf  of  the  clergymen  who  claim  to  belong  to  Barre,  by 
the  fict  either  of  having  been  born  here  or  having  lived  or 
labored  here,  allow  me  to  express  the  gratification  we  must  feel 
at  the  honorable  mention  of  us  you  have  been  pleased  to  make. 
Paying  honor  as  we  do  to  the  long  procession  of  workers  who 
for  more  than  a  century  have  worn  out  their  lives  to  amass  the 
fair  heritage  into  which  we  have  entered,  we  are  glad  that  we 
may  also  pay  honor  to  the  faithful  and  godly  men  who  beat 
down  the  rank  growth  of  error  and  vice  and  planted  here  for  us 
the  seeds  of  truth  and  righteousness.  While  we  float  happily 
upon  the  tide  of  this  ample  civilization,  or  dwell  upon  its  fruitful 
banks,  we  may  remember  that  in  the  period  of  wandering  and 
weariness  some  prophet  smote  the  rock  in  the  desert  and  waters 
gushed  out ;  that  when  the  waters  were  bitter,  some  prophet  cast 
his  handful  of  healing  salt  into  the  spring,  and  the  sweet  stream 
which  issued  thenceforth  carried  life  and  beauty  and  joy  whither- 
soever it  went. 

I  say  this  the  more  freely,  because  1  feel  as  if  just  now  I  were 
less  of  a  clergyman  than  a  layman.  For  a  year  past  it  has  been 
my  privilege  to  sit  in  the  pews  and  hear  and  criticise,  absorb 
and  reject,  glow  with  pleasure  or  disgust,  like  the  congregation 
around  me.  I  have  learned  by  experience  how  vapid  and  tedious 
a  thing  a  sermon  may  be,  —  how  utterly  profitless  by  reason  of 
arid  learning  or  goodish  commonplace  or  absolute  controversy. 
I  have  learned,  also,  how  vital  and  stimulating  a  force  a  sermon 
may  be,  —  how,  by  its  just  views  of  life,  its  sympathy  with  sorrow 
and  doubt,  its  rebuke  of  littleness  and  wrong,  its  enthusiasm  for 
what  is  true  and  pure  and  noble,-  it  may  kindle  ordinary  men 
into  heroism,  and  prove  like  that  meat  from  heaven  in  the  strength 
of  which  the  fainting  prophet  walked  for  many  days. 


2l6  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

In  glancing  back  over  the  ecclesiastical  history  of  Barre,  and 
gathering  up  my  own  fragmentary  recollections,  my  impressions 
have  been  strengthened  that  many  good  and  true  men  have 
labored  here  in  the  ministry.  The  unions  between  pastor  and 
people  have  been  formed  for  better,  for  worse  ;  some  of  them  evi- 
dently for  worse,  but  most  of  them  for  better.  In  the  first  class, 
doubtless  many  would  be  disposed  to  place  that  bellicose  and 
obstinate  man  who  labored  here  as  the  pioneer, —  Rev.  Thomas 
Frink.  I  think  this  may  be  the  judgment  of  the  committee,  as 
his  name  is  omitted  from  the  sentiment  which  has  been  placed 
in  my  hands.  It  certainly  was  the  judgment  of  the  council,  who 
were  in  session  for  six  days,  that  Mr.  Frink  had  displayed  an 
arbitrary  and  passionate  temper,  and  his  usefulness  was  at  an 
end  ;  and  this  judgment  was  endorsed  by  the  people,  who  assem- 
bled in  large  numbers  in  the  old  church,  and,  after  being  drawn 
together  in  a  ring  near  the  easterly  end  of  the  church  upon  the 
green,  voted  by  a  great  majority  that  the  pastoral  relation  should 
be  dissolved.  It  must  be  confessed  that  Mr.  Frink  has  not  made 
a  very  imposing  figure,  when  Mr.  Caldwell  marches  him  out  of 
church  by  the  coat-collar.  Nor  does  he  exhibit  a  very  Christian 
spirit  in  carrying  his  case  into  the  courts.  As  an  offset  to  this, 
however,  we  recollect  that  Mr.  Frink  lived  in  Rutland  close  by 
for  thirteen  years  before  he  was  called  here,  and  the  presumption 
is,  that  unless  he  had  borne  a  creditable  reputation  he  never  would 
have  been  sought  by  the  people  of  Barre  ;  that  he  labored  here 
for  fourteen  years  in  just  the  period  when  every  thing  was  unsettled 
and  perhaps  turbulent,  and  when  collision  was  most  likely  to  oc- 
cur ;  that  perhaps  his  offence  may  have  sprung  from  great  provo- 
cations ;  that  he  was  chosen  to  perform  some  important  services, 
such  as  that  of  preacher  before  the  General  Court ;  that  he  has 
honorable  mention  from  his  successor.  Dr.  Thompson,  for  his 
ability  and  reputation  ;  and  that  his  tombstone  in  the  church-yard 
at  Rutland  (not  always  a  trustworthy  witness)  speaks  of  him  as 
a  "reverend  and  learned"  man,  who  "departed  this  life  for  a 
better"  at  the  goodly  age  of  73.  If  we  consider  the  peculiar 
difficulties  of  the  pioneer,  we  may  be  more  lenient  to  his  faults. 

Of  Mr.  Dana,  his  successor,  there  is  but  one  testimony,  —  that 
he   was   a   man  of  good   presence,   happy   elocution,   spicy   and 


REMARKS    OF    REV.    WILLIAM    CRAWFORD.  217 

facetious  in  conversation,  who  lived  esteemed  and  beloved,  and 
died  lamented,  after  a  pastorate  of  thirty-four  years.  That  he  was 
also  of  a  thrifty  and  prudent  turn,  may  be  inferred  from  a  sentence 
in  his  letter  of  acceptance  of  July,  1767,  which  says,  "  I  must  beg 
leave  to  desire,  expect,  and  depend  upon  being  provided  yearly 
with  a  sufficient  quantity  of  firewood  fit  for  use  at  the  place  of  my 
abode,  if  Providence  should  put  me  into  ^  family  state."  The 
parish  did  not  see  the  matter  in  the  same  light ;  it  is,  nevertheless, 
handed  down  by  tradition  that  they  provided  him  with  wood  by 
donation  for  a  number  of  years,  and  finally  by  vote. 

Of  Dr.  Thompson,  his  successor,  it  is  needful  I  should  say  but 
little.  His  record  is  in  the  church  he  so  long  served  ;  in  the 
school  which  he  visited  and  tended  for  forty  years  as  chairman 
of  the  school  committee  ;  in  the  memories  and  hearts  of  those  to 
whom  he  ministered,  many  of  whom  still  survive  ;  and  in  his 
semi-centennial  sermon  and  the  accompanying  speeches,  which 
make  an  impression  on  the  reader  of  a  sweet,  mellow,  and  vener- 
able old  age. 

The  next  name  mentioned  in  the  sentiment  is  that  of  Mr. 
Storrs,  the  first  pastor  of  the  Evangelical  Church,  I  have  had 
the  means  of  learning  but  little  of  him,  save  that  he  was  esteemed 
by  all  as  a  man  of  good  ability  and  consistent  Christian  char- 
acter. Toward  his  death,  which  occurred  after  his  removal  from 
this  charge,  it  was  his  earnest  desire  that  all  his  children  should 
receive  a  liberal  education,  though  to  an  observer  it  might  have 
been  a  puzzling  question  from  what  source  the  means  were  to  be 
drawn.  As  an  illustration  of  what  tact  and  perseverance  can  do, 
it  is  of  interest  to  know  that  his  three  sons  graduated  at  one  of 
our  best  colleges,  and  his  two  daughters  at  one  of  our  best  semi- 
naries, and  that  all  occupy  places  of  credit  and  usefulness. 

Mr.  Fay's  name  —  the  next  one  mentioned  in  the  sentiment  — 
is  mingled  with  my  earliest  recollections,  but  I  cannot  recall  his 
features,  and  perhaps  I  never  saw  them.  His  letter  accepting  his 
call  is  long,  carefully  worded,  and  breathes  good  taste,  sincerity, 
and  earnestness  in  every  line.  During  his  pastorate  of  three 
years,  he  acquitted  himself  as  a  workman  "  needing  not  to  be 
ashamed,"  in  pulpit  and  parish,  and  the  regrets  and  affection  of 
the  people  followed  him  as  he  retired  from  his  work  only  to  die. 

28 


2l8  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

Succeeding  him,  for  a  few  months  only,  was  Rev.  Mr.  Spofford, 
a  young  man  pale  and  consumptive,  who  worked  the  more  ear- 
nestly because  he  knew  the  night  was  soon  coming,  and  was 
consumed  the  more  rapidly  from  the  exceeding  brightness  of  his 
burning.  Upon  my  imagination,  too  young  to  measure  but  old 
enough  to  feel,  his  energy  left  the  impression  of  unexampled 
heroism. 

Of  Mr.  BuUard  my  impressions  are  more  definite.  A  graduate 
of  Amherst,  where,  I  think,  he  bore  away  the  highest  honors  of 
his  class,  and  a  successful  teacher  in  Leicester  Academy,  he 
came  here  at  the  age  of  thirty-five  with  a  high  reputation,  which 
he  sustained  and  increased  during  a  pastorate  of  seven  years.  A 
careful  scholar  and  a  logical  thinker,  he  employed  the  forms  of 
argument  rather  than  of  appeal,  and  excelled  more  in  addresses 
to  the  reason  than  in  the  fervid  and  sympathetic  discourse  which 
finds  its  way  by  the  straighter  avenues  of  intuition  and  feeling  to 
the  heart.  Once  or  twice  a  year  he  would  visit  our  home  and 
remain  at  tea  ;  and  on  such  occasions  we  children  felt  that  we 
had  received  a  peculiar  honor,  though  we  regarded  him  with 
reverence  and  awe.  I  do  not  think  he  knew  how  to  approach 
nearer  to  the  young  than  bowing  distance,  though  perhaps  in 
those  days  I  was  too  shy  to  be  approached.  His  pulpit  per- 
formances were  listened  to  with  admiration  and  pride.  One  dis- 
course on  the  "dignity  of  labor"  received  much  praise;  and 
some  here  may  recall  with  a  smile  the  repetition  of  it  at  a  brill- 
iant wedding,  and  what  emphatic  honor  he  then  gave  not  only 
to  those  who  till  the  soil  and  provide  for  our  material  wants,  but 
to  those  who  secure  our  rights  in  the  courts  of  justice.  He  must 
have  had  a  hearty  hatred  of  dogs,  for  in  his  discourse  at  the  dedi- 
cation of  the  nev/  church  he  deemed  it  necessary  to  say,  with 
great  energy  of  manner,  with  reference  to  them  he  could  use  the 
language  of  a  heathen  poet,  "  Procul,  O  procul,  este  profani,"  or 
the  plainer  injunction  of  an  inspired  apostle,  "  Beware  of  dogs." 
He  was  a  man  of  rare  power  and  purity  of  character,  and  when 
he  died  it  was  felt  that  there  was  a  singular  fitness  in  the  text 
chosen  by  Dr.  Paine,  of  Holden,  for  the  funeral :  "  Know  ye  not 
that  there  is  a  prince  and  a  great  man  fallen  this  day  in  Israel." 
The  house  on  that  occasion  was  full  of  people  gathered  from  near 


REMARKS    OF    REV.    WILLIAM    CRAWFORD.  219 

and  from  far.  As  the  preacher  drew  towards  the  close  of  his 
discourse,  he  spoke  of  some  engagements  he  had  recently  made 
with  the  deceased,  "  engagements,"  he  continued,  "  which  can 
now  never  be  fulfilled."  Here  his  voice  faltered  and  broke,  and  as 
he  paused  to  recov^er  his  self-possession,  the  sobbing  of  the  whole 
congregation  told  how  deeply  they  were  moved.  After  the  ser- 
vices the  coffin  was  placed  upon  a  table  on  the  green  in  front  of 
the  door,  and  as  the  people  passed  by  and  gazed  with  reverence 
on  those  pale  features,  they  certainly  felt,  if  they  did  not  say, — 

"  He  was  a  man,  take  him  for  all  in  all, 
We  shall  not  look  upon  his  like  again." 

Mr.  Cate,  of  the  Baptist  Church,  I  recollect  as  an  eminently 
good  man  and  deservedly  beloved.  Mr.  Walker  was  exceedingly 
plain,  rather  long  and  prosy,  but  evidently  sincere.  I  think  he 
might  have  said,  as  did  that  Scotch  minister  who  was  asked,  after 
having  preached  for  an  hour  and  a  half,  "  if  he  was  not  tired," 
"  Ha  !  ha  !  I  was  as  fresh  as  a  new-blown  rose  ;  but  it  would  have 
done  your  heart  good  to  have  seen  how  tired  the  people  were." 
One  of  his  texts,  "  Go  and  speak  to  that  young  man,"  is  still 
fresh  in  my  mind.  My  whole  heart  pays  its  homage  of  respect 
to  that  plain  and  guileless  man,  who  toiled  in  his  field  all  the 
week  and  preached  the  word  of  God  upon  the  Sabbath,  and  I 
have  no  doubt  that  he  has  received  a  good  reward. 

Of  Rev.  David  Peck,  the  last  called  from  the  world,  I  must  say 
a  few  words.  He  was  a  man  of  slight  frame  and  delicate 
health,  and  was  weighed  down  during  a  part  of  his  ministry  by 
peculiar  domestic  afflictions.  He  was  often  obliged  to  spur  him- 
self through  his  tasks,  and  could  not  help  betraying  the  languor 
which  he  felt.  He  was,  nevertheless,  a  man  far  above  the  average 
in  scholarship,  literary  taste,  and  oratorical  ability.  In  his  last 
years  he  wrote  frequently  for  the  papers,  and  a  series  of  articles 
on  the  development  hypothesis  obtained  much  commendation. 
In  botany  he  was  an  enthusiast,  and  amid  his  severer  studies  he 
diverted  himself  by  his  love  of  flowers.  There  were  probably 
few  professional  botanists  in  the  State  who  had  made  larger  col- 
lections in  this  department.  One  of  his  discourses  for  the  spring 
was  from  the  text,  "  Thou  blessest  the  springing  thereof;  "  and  I 


2  20  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

can  i-emember  how,  with  the  precision  of  a  scholar  and  the  enthu- 
siasm of  an  amateur,  he  described  the  tender  bud  folded  in  down 
and  shielded  by  an  impenetrable  covering  until  Providence  sent 
upon  it  the  reviving  airs  of  spring  and  called  it  forth  to  the  light. 
A  beautiful  park,  which  was  set  off  by  his  efforts  in  his  last  parish 
of  Sunderland,  will  remain  as  one  of  his  memorials. 

As  a  matter  of  interest,  I  have  endeavored  to  ascertain  how 
many  clergymen  the  town  has  produced,  and  I  give  you  the  list 
made  out,  imperfect  as  it  doubtless  is.  You  may  be  reminded  of 
the  net  which  was  cast  into  the  sea  and  "  gathered  of  every 
kind." 

Rev.  Seth  E.  Winslow ;  Rev.  James  W.  Thompson,  D.D.  ; 
Rev.  Abraham  Jenkins,  Rev.  James  T.  Bixby,  Rev.  A.  W.  Ste- 
vens, Rev.  Elijah  Demond,  Rev.  Robert  T.  Conant,  Rev.  R. 
T.  Robinson,  Rev.  Thomas  G.  Grassie,  Rev.  William  Craw- 
ford, Rev.  Sidney  Crawford,  Rev.  David  Sherman,  Rev.  M.  V. 
B.  Johnson,  Rev.  Charles  L.  Howe,  Rev.  Owen  Patterson,  Rev. 
A.  Cleaveland,  Rev.  Alpheus  Harding,  Rev.  Charles  Jenkins. 

XI .  Schools  and  Education :  As  very  early  in  our  history  it  has  been  seen 
that  our  fathers  recognized  the  importance  of  education,  and  provided  for 
the  support  of  the  schools  as  the  basis  of  our  prosperity  and  safety  as  a 
community,  — and  as  along  the  progress  of  the  century  we  have  kept  up 
with  the  progress  of  the  times,  —  so  to-day  we  appreciate  our  school  sys- 
tem, and  honor  all  connected  with  its  administration  as  holding  in  their 
hands  the  future  character  of  the  town. 

Dr.  Joseph  W.  Grosvenor,  of  Lockport,  New  York,  was 
introduced,  who  said  :  — 

REMARKS   OF  DR.   GROSVENOR. 

The  schools  of  a  town  are  the  exponent  of  its  character.  De- 
scribe to  me  the  schools  of  any  community,  and  I  will  paint  for 
you,  in  accurate  outline  and  correct  coloring,  its  character,  moral, 
intellectual,  aesthetical. 

My  knowledge  of  the  educational  pulse  of  this  goodly  town 
excites  in  me  no  surprise,  as  I  behold  the  array  of  talent  and 
beauty  exhibited  by  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Barre  here  to-day. 

Memory  takes  me  back  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  to  the 


REMARKS    OF    DR.    GROSVENOR.  221 

school-room  under  the  hill,  with  its  theatrical  rows  of  seats,  the 
monster  stoves,  ofttimes  made  savory  with  the  spices  of  India, 
the  chalk-line  along  the  floor  where  we  were  made  to  toe  the 
mark,  huge  benches  cai"ved  by  youthful  artists  with  caricatures 
worthy  of  the  pencil  of  Thomas  Nast,  and  written  all  over  with 
hieroglyphics  of  which  Egyptian  scribes  never  dreamed.  Here 
fought  with  bullets  of  paper  the  same  boys  who  in  after  years,  as 
men,  on  a  wider  field  fought  with  bullets  of  lead.  The  girls  fought 
with  billets-doux.  The  snowy  forts  were  but  miniatures  of  the 
fortifications  of  stone  and  earth  behind  which,  in  after-time,  many 
a  brave  son  of  Barre  maintained  the  law,  the  liberty,  and  honor 
of  his  country.  Oft  did  the  walls  of  that  very  room  resound  with 
the  eloquence  of  Webster  and  Clay,  as  the  juvenile  orators  decided 
the  fate  of  states  and  nations  ;  oft  on  the  rostrum  there  did  Norval 
feed  his  father's  flock  on  the  Grampian  hills ;  oft  was  heard, 
"  You'd  scarce  expect  one  of  my  age  to  speak  in  public  on  the 
stage  ;  "  and  oft  mid  snow  and  ice  bore  a  youth  a  banner  with 
this  strange  device,  "  Excelsior," 

Mathematics,  reading,  and  spelling  went  hand-in-hand  with  the 
birchen  rod.  Whoever  broke  a  rule  of  school  was  sure  to  feel  the 
breaking  of  another  rule.  "  Spare  the  rod  and  spoil  the  child" 
was  the  educational  philosophy  of  those  days.  Seeds  of  rudi- 
mentary knowledge,  of  science  and  philosophy,  were  sown  in 
rich  mental  soil,  and  cultured  with  a  careful  hand.  The  developed 
trees  have  blossomed  apd  borne  abundant  fruits  of  usefulness, 
integrity,  and  honor,  which  have  influenced  for  good  nearly  every 
quarter  of  the  globe.  Schools  similar  in  character  have  crowned 
the  hills  of  this  fair  centre  of  the  Commonwealth  ever  since  the 
corner-stone  of  its  foundation  was  laid. 

In  process  of  time,  the  High  School  reared  its  noble  form  in 
our  midst  as  the  crowning  glory  of  our  educational  system.  Time 
would  fail  to  tell  of  the  streams  which  have  flowed  forth  from  it 
to  beautify  all  the  earth.  Let  me  not  forget  that  private  educa- 
tional institution  which  has  been  a  blessing  to  stricken  humanity 
and  an  honor  to  the  town. 

Barre  may  be  proud  of  her  schools,  because  she  may  be  proud 
of  the  men  and  women  who  have  graduated  from  them.  The 
schools  of  our  land  are  the  conservators  of  its  peace  and  prosperity. 


222  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

The  freer  and  more  universal  is  education,  the  more  thoroughly 
will  the  mind  and  heart  of  the  people  be  imbued  with  the  prin- 
ciples of  purity  and  truth  that  are  a  blessing  to  our  homes ;  of 
honesty  and  good  faith  between  man  and  man  which  cement  the 
framework  of  the  social  compact;  of  justice  and  equal  rights 
which  are  the  foundation  of  national  success  and  national  happi- 
ness. Let  me  say  to  the  sons  and  daughters  of  to-day,  Guard 
your  schools  with  the  most  jealous  care.  They  are  a  priceless 
legacy  transmitted  from  your  forefathers.  Furnish  your  school- 
houses  with  the  comforts,  elegancies,  and  refinements  of  your 
homes.  Give  your  children  all  the  apparatus  and  means  needful 
for  a  thorough  education.  Let  there  emanate  from  these  schools 
an  influence  to  bless  your  firesides,  your  country,  —  all  humanity. 
These  school-houses  that  dot  your  hills  and  valleys  are  so  many 
sentinels  to  guard  your  liberties  and  to  teach  the  great  truth, 
"  Righteousness  exalteth  a  nation." 

I  should  like,  Mr.  Chairman,  in  closing,  to  make  some  rotund 
and  proper  ending;  and  I  am  reminded  of  a  saying  of  a  gen- 
tleman named  David  Lee,  who  said  that  he  believed  he  could 
make  as  good  a  prayer  as  any  man  in  town  except  Parson 
Thompson,  with  the  exception  that  he  didn't  know  how  to 
taper  off"  at  the  end.  But  perhaps  I  may  best  close  by  simply 
drawing  your  attention  to  a  remark  made  this  morning  in  the 
finished  and  splendid  historical  address,  that  our  thoughts  were 
turned  to-day  to  persons  rather  than  tg  things.  I  confess  that, 
for  myself,  while  listening  to  the  speaker  my  heart  swelled  most 
with  pride,  not  while  he  was  speaking  of  your  enterprise,  your 
fair  landscape,  your  material  prosperity,  but  while  he  was  speak- 
ing of  the  living  men  who  have  gone  forth  to  every  part  of  the 
world.  Allow  me,  then,  to  close  by  expi-essing  the  hope  that  you 
will  give  your  support  to  those  who,  in  this  materializing  world, 
hold  up  the  truth  that  mind  is  higher  than  matter,  that  man  is 
greater  than  the  things  with  which  he  works,  and  that  all  is  vain 
and  futile  unless  it  carries  us  forward  in  righteousness  and  peace, 
and  lifts  us  nearer  to  God  and  to  heaven. 

XII.  Scenery  of  Barre :  Though  perhaps  not  strikingly  grand,  its  pictu- 
resqueness  makes  an  abiding  impression  of  assthetic  pleasure  upon  all  who 
behold  it. 


REMARKS    OF    MESSRS.    ALDEN    AND    YOUNG.  223 

Mr.  Albert  Alden,  of  Cambridgeport,  a  former  resi- 
dent of  Barre,  was  cordially  welcomed,  and  said:  — 

REMARKS   OF    MR.   ALBERT  ALDEN. 

It  is  too  late  to  respond  to  the  sentiment  in  the  manner  in  which 
I  had  intended  ;  but  let  me  say  to  the  friends  and  companions  of 
my  early  years  that  the  hours  of  this  day  are  rapidly  closing  upon 
us.  They  will  soon  find  place  in  that  great  record  of  the  past 
which  no  time  nor  circumstances  can  change.  Those  of  us  who 
have  come  back  here  to  extend  heart-felt  greetings  to  the  living 
and  entwine  fresh  garlands  of  affection  around  the  memory  of  the 
dead,  will  soon  pass  out  from  these  scenes  of  joy  and  of  gladness 
and  of  heart-felt  union,  to  mingle  again  in  the  great  world  of 
business  activity  ;  but  wherever  we  go,  wherever  our  feet  may 
rest  or  wander,  in  this  great  land  or  in  foreign  lands,  the  recollec- 
tions of  this  day  will  abide  with  us  for  ever.  When  we  have 
passed  out  of  these  scenes  of  gladness  and  of  beauty,  and  have 
entered  the  realms  of  eternal  verdure,  in  the  lines  of  one  who 
bore  my  name  and  who  loved  this  people, — 

"  There  once  more  we  will  dwell  together, 
Heart  in  heart  and  hand  in  hand, 
Pain  and  death  shall  part  us  never 
In  the  peaceful  spirit-land." 

Xin.  The  Press  :  The  potent  organ  of  public  opinion  ;  the  instructor 
of  freemen  in  their  rights  and  duties  ;  the  conservator  of  republican  in- 
stitutions ;  the  ally  of  education  and  religion. 

REMARKS  OF  MR.  ALEX.  YOUNG,*  OF  THE  "BOSTON  GLOBE." 

]\Ir.  President^  Ladies  and  Gentle7nen^  —  It  has  been  said 
by  one  of  the  brightest  of  American  wits  and  poets,  — 

"  Little  of  all  we  value  here 
Wakes  on  the  morn  of  its  hundredth  year 
Without  both  looking  and  feeling  queer. 
In  fact,  there's  nothing  that  keeps  its  youth, 
So  far  as  I  know,  but  a  tree  and  truth." 

*  A  grandson  of  Eleazar  James,  Esq. 


224  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

Now,  Mr.  President,  and  ladies  and  gentlemen,  it  seems  to  me 
that  Barre  on  this  occasion  certainly  comes  within  the  rule  here 
laid  down.  As  I  look  upon  this  centennial  exhibition,  it  seems  to 
me  that  Barre  does  not  appear  as  trembling  under  the  weight  of 
years,  a  decrepit  crone,  tottering  to  receive  her  guests,  but  a 
buxom  dame,  pretty,  blithe,  and  jaunty  as  a  June  morning,  wel- 
coming her  children  and  her  children's  children  to  her  generous 
hospitality.  I  regret,  gentlemen,  that  the  press  could  not  have 
had  a  worthier  spokesman  on  this  occasion.  I  regret  especially 
that  the  dispensation  of  Divine  Providence  should  have  called  too 
early  to  his  kindred  skies  that  genial  gentleman  and  most  accom- 
plished journalist,  who  would  naturally  have  represented  the  press 
on  this  occasion,  —  I  need  not  say  that  I  allude  to  the  late  George 
B.  Woods,  of  this  town.  And  I  may  regret  also  that  no  one 
bearing  the  name  of  James  should  have  been  present  to  respond 
on  this  occasion.  The  Jameses  have  gone  all  over  the  country  ;  I 
don't  know  that  there  is  any  trace  of  them  here  ;  but,  sir,  it  is  a 
somewhat  significant  fact,  that  one  of  the  most  gifted  of  American 
authors  should  have  given  us  perhaps  the  most  characteristic  of 
American  productions,  under  the  name  and  as  the  statement  of 
"  Truthful  James  of  Table  Mountain." 

"I  came  from  Table  Mountain, 
And  my  name  is  Truthful  James  ; 
I  am  not  up  to  small  deceits, 
Nor  to  any  sinful  games." 

I  maintain  that  there,  gentlemen,  the  characteristics  of  the  fam- 
ily have  not  suffered. 

It  is  among  the  pleasantest  duties  of  the  press,  gentlemen  and 
ladies,  to  investigate  the  significance  of  celebrations  like  this;  for 
in  our  time,  as  never  before,  the  press  has  come,  while  gathering 
and  giving  news,  to  find  its  highest  duty  in  setting  forth  the  prin- 
ciples that  underlie  the  events  and  occurrences  of  the  times.  It  does 
not  merely  record  history,  but  it  creates  it.  The  newspaper  is 
now  the  recognized  instrument  for  the  dissemination  of  the  facts  of 
literature,  politics,  and  science  ;  and  it  has  also,  to  a  large  extent,  a 
power  in  all  the  great  reforms  of  the  day.  Lord  Mansfield  told 
the  Duke  of  Northumberland,  who  pleased  himself  in  enjoying  the 


REMARKS    OF    MR.    ALEXANDER    YOUNG.  225 

newspaper,  that  the  newspapers  he  was  interested  in  would, 
sooner  or  later,  write  the  Duke  of  Northumberland  out  of  his  titles 
and  possessions,  and  the  King  of  England  out  of  his  throne. 
Said  he,  "  You  may  not  live  to  see  it,  but  your  descendants  will." 
I  think,  gentlemen,  tliat  the  condition  of  aftairs  in  England  point 
to  a  no  distant  day  for  the  consummation  which  was  foreseen  by 
so  keen  an  observer  and  so  solid  a  statesman  as  Lord  Mansfield. 

Certainly  the  great  achievements  of  the  daily  newspaper  in  our 
day  show  it  is  not  only  taking  all  knowledge  for  its  domain, 
but  is  conducting  great  enterprises  to  advance  the  interests  of  liter- 
ature and  science,  and  the  laws  of  social  and  political  reform. 
How  was  it,  gentlemen,  a  hundred  years  ago?  A  hundred  years 
ago  to-day  thei'e  was  a  meeting  in  the  town-hall  of  Boston,  called 
to  resist  the  oppressions  of  the  British  crown,  and  at  that  time  the 
liberty  of  the  people  had  no  more  earnest  advocate  than  the  daily 
papers,  and  among  which  were  the  "  Massachusetts  Spy,"  now  pub- 
lished in  Worcester,  where  it  was  removed  some  years  afterwards, 
and  the  "  Boston  Gazette,"  to  which  John  Adams  and  Josiah  Qiiincy 
were  brilliant  contributors.  By  the  way,  the  "  Massachusetts  Spy  " 
bore  at  its  head  this  title:  "A  weekly  political  and  commercial 
paper ;  open  to  all  parties,  but  influenced  by  none."  There  is  a 
good  deal  of  talk  nowadays  about  independent  journalism  ;  but  I 
don't  know  where  you  will  find  a  more  independent  motto  than 
that.  I  think  the  "Massachusetts  Spy"  was  the  first  independent 
journal  that  I  know  of  in  America.  Certainly  it  showed  itself  in 
opposition  to  British  encroachment.  About  the  first  of  June,  you 
remember,  the  Boston  port-bill  took  effect.  The  "Spy"  of  that 
day  thus  says :  "  Most  of  the  stores  along  the  long  wharf  are  now 
shut  up,  hundreds  of  poor  are  out  of  employment,  and  many  who 
lived  genteelly  will  be  reduced  to  the  last  farthing.  Yet,  under 
these  unhappy  circumstances,  people  in  general  have  that  fortitude 
which  did  honor  to  the  ancient  Romans,  —  '  Undaunted  by  tyrants, 
we'll  die  or  be  free.'"  We  will  die  or  be  free.  The  office  of  the 
"  Spy  "  was  styled  the  sedition-factory  by  the  royalists  ;  and,  on  the 
third  of  May,  1775,  it  was  thought  prudent  to  remove  it  to  Wor- 
cester. 

It  is  a  little  curious,  and  illustrates  very  strikingly  the  defects 
in  our  institutions  as  they  existed  at  that  time,  which  were  trans- 

29 


226  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

mitted  from  the  past,  that  on  the  very  day  that  that  stirring  appeal 
for  freedom  appeared  in  the  "  Massachusetts  Spy,"  as  I  looked  over 
its  musty  pages  at  the  Boston  Athenaeum,  I  read  there  the  adver- 
tisement which,  thank  God,  cannot  be  read  in  any  paper,  North 
or  South,  in  all  this  broad  land  of  ours  :  "  To  be  sold,  for  want  of 
employment,  a  strong,  healthy  negro  boy,  about  nine  years  of  age, 
who  can  be  well  recommended  for  his  honesty."  There  is  one 
name  in  connection  with  the  press  of  that  period  to  which  I  will 
refer  as  that  of  one  of  the  most  striking  and  brilliant  writers  of  his 
time, — Joseph  Greenleaf.  In  closing  an  article  in  the  "Spy," 
written  nearly  three  years  before  the  Concord  fight,  he  uses  these 
words,  certainly  significant  of  the  influence  of  the  press  at  that 
period  :  "  Let  the  liberty  of  the  press  be  once  destroyed,  farewell 
the  remainder  of  our  rights  and  privileges.  We  may  hence  ex- 
pect padlocks  on  our  lips,  fetters  on  our  limbs,  and  only  our  hands 
left  to  slave  for  our  worse  than  Egyptian  task-masters,  or  to  fight 
our  way  to  constitutional  freedom."  Where  can  you  find  an  utter- 
ance better  than  that  in  the  press  of  this  or  of  any  other  country.'* 

I  have  referred  somewhat  to  the  functions  of  the  press  as  a 
great  power  in  all  reforms  of  the  day,  and  I  think  it  will  be  well 
illustrated  by  a  few  examples  of  what  it  has  done  in  recent  years. 
It  is  not  a  great  many  years  ago,  onl}'  a  few,  that  the  "  London 
News"  sent  one  of  its  correspondents  into  Warwickshire,  at  the 
time  of  the  great  strike  of  the  agricultural  laborers,  to  live  in  the 
cabins  of  these  poor  men,  and  share  their  scanty  fare,  living  as 
they  did  with  hardly  enough  to  keep  themselves  alive.  In  that 
magnificent  country,  set  with  the  charm  of  English  poetry,  where 
every  thing  seems  fit  for  human  enjoyment,  that  correspondent 
went  and  lived  with  those  wretched  people,  enduring  their  suffer- 
ings, and,  in  fact,  exposing  his  life  in  showing  up  the  enormities  of 
that  system  of  which  Joseph  Arch  has  lately  been  the  earnest  and 
faithful  rebuker.  This  is  one  example.  Another  is  tliat  of  the 
correspondent  who  went  into  the  slums  of  London  to  reveal  the 
horrors  of  life  in  the  suburbs  of  the  great  metropolis. 

But  to  pass  from  what  English  journals  have  done,  let  us  see 
what  we  have  done.  I  know  of  no  more  legitimate  feat  of  jour- 
nalistic enterprise  than  that  of  the  "New  York  Herald,"  in  send- 
ing Stanley  to  search  out  the  African  traveller  in  those  desolate 


REMARKS    OF    MR.    ALEXANDER  YOUNG.  227 

wilds  where  the  English  government  expedition  had  failed  to  find 
him  ;  but  Stanley,  who  literally  took  his  life  in  his  hand,  we 
know  what  he  accomplished  for  the  cause  of  science  by  the  dis- 
covery of  one  who,  alas!   has  since  become  its  martyr. 

But  tOj  pass  on  to  another  achievement  of  journalism,  which  I 
consider  not  certainly  among  the  least  of  what  has  been  done  in 
late  years,  of  a  great  journal  of  New  York,  which  dragged  from 
his  heights  of  infamy,  from  the  palatial  grandeur  of  his  resi- 
dence in  New  York,  the  corrupt  head  of  the  ring  that  had  so 
long  misgoverned  that  metropolis,  and  was  the  means  of  bring- 
ing him  where  he  is  to-day,  in  convict  garb,  a  warning  to 
those  who  would  buy  courts  and  corrupt  judges  in  a  republican 
government. 

One  reference  more,  gentlemen,  and  I  have  done.  I  think  the 
power  of  the  press  has  never  been  more  strongly  shown  than  in 
very  recent  days,  when  the  utterances  of  the  journals  of  this  coun- 
try in  defence  of  national  faith  and  of  national  honor  nerved  the 
President  of  the  republic  to  take  the  stand  he  did  for  the  protec- 
tion of  American  credit.  I  don't  know  any  thing  that  the  con- 
queror of  Lee  has  ever  done  ;  I  don't  think,  sir,  that  the  victory  at 
Donaldson,  Vicksburg,  or  the  fall  of  Richmond  will  shed  more 
lustre  upon  the  career  of  President  Grant  than  that  act;  and,  sir, 
I  realize  in  that  act  the  truth  of  the  statement,  that,  in  the  hands 
of  men  entirely  great,  the  pen  is  mightier  than  the  sword.  I 
thank  you  for  the  attention  you  have  given  me  and  for  the 
pleasure  I  have  received  on  this  occasion. 

There  were  several  sentiments  of  a  local  character  pre- 
pared, to  which  the  responses  were  omitted  on  account  of 
the  lateness  of  the  hour ;  but  as  the  subjects  discussed  have 
a  permanent  interest,  the  addresses  are  herein  inserted. 


XIV.  The  Farmers  of  Barre :  Their  industry  and  honest  toil  has  made 
the  wilderness  and  solitary  place  glad,  and  fruitful  fields  take  the  place  of 
the  forest  and  marsh.  Though  not,  as  a  class,  rich,  they  abound  in  all  the 
essentials  of  a  true  civilization. 


228  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 


REMARKS    OF    MR.    ADDISON    H.    HOLLAND. 

j\fr.  President^ — It  would  be  interesting  if  we  could  look 
back  and  see  and  examine  the  work  done  here  at  different  periods 
since  the  settlement  of  the  town  by  farmers,  and  note  the  changes 
that  have  occurred,  and  understand  the  feelings,  incentives,'  and 
objects  of  those  who  have  been  concerned  in  what  has  taken  place. 
It  is  to  be  regretted  that  there  are  so  few  statistics  relating  to  these 
matters,  the  more  because  that,  perhaps,  with  the  labors  of  no 
occupation  is  time  more  unsparing  than  with  those  of  the  agri- 
culturist. Lands  once  "  flowing  with  milk  and  honey"  are  now 
barren  wastes.  Here  the  great  farms  and  house-lots  have  been 
parcelled  out ;  forests,  and  log-houses,  with  their  magnificent  fire- 
places, have  disappeared  ;  and  there  is  much  that  we  have  received, 
and  now  enjoy,  of  which  we  cannot  estimate  the  labor  or  the  cost. 
It  may  excite  a  smile,  perhaps  a  sneer,  but  I  think  it  worthy  of 
remark,  that  of  the  material  monuments  erected  by  Barre  farmers 
the  most  costly  are,  like  those  of  the  Chinese,  stone-walls.  These, 
unsightly  as  they  appear,  are  suggestive  of  forethought,  industry, 
stability,  and  good  neighborhood. 

Of  the  rank  of  Barre,  agriculturally,  it  may  be  said  that  the 
statistics  of  1S65  show  that  it  was  then  the  leading  town  in  the 
State  in  the  production  of  hay,  and  in  dairying.  Any  statement 
in  regard  to  dairying  would  be  unjust  and  incomplete  if  reference 
to  the  women  in  connection  therewith  was  omitted.  I  apprehend 
that  but  few  women  fifty  years  hence  will  have  any  real  concep- 
tion of  the  "  industry  and  honest  toil,"  and  hardship  too,  which 
dairying,  as  carried  on  here  previous  to  the  introduction  of  cheese 
factories  in  1S64,  required  of  farmers'  wives. 

What  a  gratification  it  would  be  if  many  of  the  farmers,  who 
were  once  prominent  in  their  calling,  and  for  otlier  reasons, 
could  be  seen  now  as  some  of  them  were  seen  by  us  in  our 
younger  days.  We  should  desire,  also,  that  they  should  manifest 
those  peculiarities  by  which  some  of  them  were  best  known,  and 
will  be  longest  remembered.  Men  like  the  Rices,  —  Earl,  Jotham, 
and  Charles,  —  fond  of  good  stories  and  jokes,  but  with  always  an 
eye  to  the  main  chance  in  matters  of  business  ;  the  Harwoods, 


REMARKS    OF    MR.    ADDISON    H.    HOLLAND.  229 

industrious,  frugal,  and  observing,  rather  easy  to  take  offence,  and 
quick  and  sharp  in  their  resentments ;  Perry  Johnson,  known 
everywhere  as  "  Uncle  Perry,"  tall,  slim,  shrewd,  witty,  and  re- 
puted to  possess  just  enough  of  the  infirmity  of  deafness  for  profit ; 
Peter  Fessenden  (the  second  by  that  name),  whose  aptness  of 
tongue  often  proved  better  to  him  than  scrip.  When  advanced 
in  years,  he  sold  most  of  his  farm,  and,  to  piece  out  a  short  crop, 
would  turn  his  "  old  meer,"  as  he  called  his  horse,  into  the  high- 
way. She  seemed  to  know  what  her  owner  could  say  for  her, 
and  satisfied  her  wants  in  grain  fields  or  wherever  else  she  pleased. 
The  losers  sometimes  complained  and  were  angry,  but  the  old 
man  invariably  recompensed  and  sobered  them  by  saying  some- 
thing that  would  cause  them  to  be  laughed  at  by  the  whole 
neighborhood.  It  is  related  that  the  "  old  meer  "  once  got  into 
a  neighbor's  pasture  and  remained  there  some  time  before  the 
owner  of  the  lot  knew  of  it.  The  man  was  impulsive  though 
generous,  and  when  the  fiacts  came  to  his  knowledge  he  went  to 
Mr.  Fessenden  and  called  him  hard  names,  threatening  to  "  kill" 
his  horse,  &c.,  if  he  found  her  there  again.  Mr.  Fessenden  re- 
ceived the  lecture  very  coolly,  but,  as  he  was  not  in  the  habit  of 
speaking  out  of  time,  he  said  but  little.  Reflection  induced  the 
owner  of  the  pasture  to  regret  saying  what  he  had,  and,  meeting 
Mr.  Fessenden  shortly  after,  acknowledged  that  he  had  done 
wrong,  and  concluded  by  telling  the  old  man  to  put  his  horse 
"  back  into  the  pasture."  "  I  haven't  taken  her  out  yet,"  was  the 
old  man's  quiet  response.  Charles  Sibley,  whose  presence  indi- 
cated one  of  nature's  noblemen,  and  prompted  a  regret  that  he 
was  lacking  that  ambition  which  would  have  enabled  him  to 
have  reached  and  done  honor  to  high  places  of  public  trust. 
Mr.  Sibley  had  a  part  in  the  capture  of  the  British  officers  in 
this  town.  There  was  no  organization  among  the  captors,  and 
when  the  officers  came  out  of  the  house,  one  of  them,  who  ap- 
peared to  be  the  chief,  a  man  of  Herculean  size,  and  resolute, 
drew  a  pistol  and  demanded  to  know  who  was  the  leader  of 
the  party.  It  was  one  of  those  occasions  when  men  are  not  often 
emulous  of  rank,  and  there  was  no  reply.  But  the  suspense  must 
be  broken,  and  Mr.  Sibley  told  the  officer  that  he  was  the  leader. 
The  officer  then  advanced  and  presented  his  pistol  to  Mr.  Sibley's 


230  BARRE   CENTENNIAL. 

breast,  who  told  him  to  "  fire,  if  he  dared,"  but  that  there  would 
be  "enough  left  to  take  care  of  him." 

There  was  one,  the  late  Mr,  Elias  Ayres,  whose  memory 
should  be  cherished  for  the  inestimable  service  he  rendered  by 
tlie  introduction  of  the  famous  short-horn  cattle,  some  forty  years 
ago.  To  appreciate  the  enterprise  Mr.  Ayres  exhibited  in  this,  we 
should  consider  that  at  that  time  there  were  but  few  agricultural 
newspapers  in  the  country,  and  these  were  regarded  with  suspicion 
and  contempt  by  many  who  were  successful  farmers  ;  that  the 
oldest  of  our  agricultural  societies  had  hardly  begun  their  work  ; 
and  that  it  was  only  about  a  dozen  years  after  those  pioneers, 
Col.  Jaques  and  Gorham  Parsons,  made  their  first  importations  of 
short-horn  stock.  It  is  a  noticeable  fact  that  that  period  marks 
the  beginning  of  a  new  era  agriculturally  here  and  throughout 
the  country.  Chemists  tried  more  successfully  to  utilize  their 
knowledge  by  its  application  to  the  problems  of  soils  and  crops ; 
the  perfected  iron  plough  had  just  come  into  general  use,  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  the  horse-rake,  mowing-machine,  tedder,  cheese  facto- 
ries, &c.  Mr.  Ayres  was  a  stout,  thick-set  man,  and  ambitious  as 
a  farmer.  He  finally  sold  his  farm  in  Barre,  and  removed  to  Vir- 
ginia to  occupy  a  part  or  the  whole  of  the  estate  of  ex-Pi-esident 
Monroe,  where,  during  the  rebellion,  he  was  suspected,  plundered, 
and  imprisoned  by  both  Confederate  and  Federal. 

Men  are  sometimes  unconscious  actors  in  great  events.  Proba- 
bly neither  of  the  Barre  farmers,  Mr.  Jennison  or  Mr.  Caldwell, 
when  acting  to  bring  about  the  abolition  of  slavery  in  Massa- 
chusetts, comprehended  the  magnitude  of  the  work  they  were 
doing.  And  though  matters  of  the  past  claim  our  attention 
to-day,  it  is  difficult  to  resist  the  temptation  to  glance  at  the 
future.  The  present  prime  minister  of  England  is  reported 
to  have  said  recently,  that  he  had  noticed  that  it  was  usually 
the  "  unexpected  that  happens."  It  may  be  so  here.  The 
changes  that  have  occurred  during  the  last  twenty-five  years 
have  had  an  important  bearing  on  the  forming  interests  of  our 
town.  There  has  been  much  to  stimulate  exertion,  and  much 
that  has  been  disturbing.  The  fascinations  of  wealth,  sud- 
denly   and    apparently    easily  acquired    in    other    pursuits,   and 


REMARKS    OF    HON.    EDWARD    DENNY.  23 1 

the  advantages  it  gave  for  culture  and  refinement,  could  not  be 
regarded  with  inditi'erence.  It  is  too  true  that  our  farmers  are 
"  not,  as  a  cUiss,  rich."  But  whatever  uncertainty  may  be  felt  in 
regard  to  the  future,  we  may  be  sure  there  is  no  occasion  for 
despondency.  With  new  and  redirected  etibrts,  all  responsibilities 
and  obligations  will  be  met,  and  the  much-needed  mental  and 
social  culture,  with  contentment  and  happiness,  will  be  secured. 
The  great  fact,  however,  must  be  kept  in  mind,  that  — 

"  He  that  by  the  plough  would  thrive, 
Himself  must  either  hold  or  drive." 

XV.  The  Maiinfacturers  of  Barre :  Their  enterprise  has  added  new 
means  of  employment  for  the  surplus  labor  of  the  town,  increased  its  pop- 
ulation, and  furnished  a  valuable  home-market  for  its  surplus  products  of 
agriculture,  while  the  fabrics  they  have  produced  have  given  an  honorable 
name  and  standing  to  the  town  throughout  the  county  wherein  John 
Smith's  cotton  cloth,  or  Phineas  Heywood's  woollen  frocking,  or  the 
broadcloths  of  the  Wadsworth  Woollen  Co.,  or  the  wagons  of  Charles  Rice 
have  gone. 

REMARKS  OF  HON.  EDWARD  DENNY. 

Please  accept  my  thanks,  Mr.  President,  for  the  complimentary 
manner  in  which  you  have  called  on  me  to  respond  to  the  toast 
which  has  just  been  aimounced.  After  listening  to  so  many  able 
and  eloquent  speakers  as  we  have  heard  to-day,  on  subjects  of 
intense  interest  to  all  who  have  come  here  from  far  and  near  to 
celebrate  this  day,  and  to  receive  and  impart  a  mutual  interchange 
of  greetings  and  congratulations,  the  like  of  which  no  one  present 
will  ever  have  another  opportunity,  I  fear  that  it  will  seem  to 
you  too  much  of  a  fall  to  come  down  from  the  highly  intellectual 
entertainment  which  we  are  all  enjoying  so  much,  to  listen  with 
any  degree  of  complacency  to  the  dull  and  commonplace  subject 
of  manufactures  ;  and  I  regret  that  some  one  besides  myself  could 
not  have  been  selected  to  inflict  this  punishment  upon  yoif.  But  I 
will  endeavor  to  be  as  brief  as  possible  ;  and  I  hope  you  will  hear 
me  for  my  cause,  and  be  silent  that  you  may  hear,  —  not  that  I 
love  manufactures  less,  but  that  I  respect  the  feelings  and  enjoy- 
ment of  this  audience  more. 


232  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

Barre  —  located  as  she  is  in  the  centre  of  one  of  the  best  agri- 
cultural districts  in  the  Commonwealth  —  can  more  justly  claim 
to  be  essentially  an  agricultural  rather  than  a  manufacturing 
community;  her  broad  fields,  her  fertile  valleys,  and  her  flocks 
upon  a  thousand  hills,  are  ample  evidence  of  her  superiority  as 
an  agricultural  centre.  Here  the  farmer  can  enjoy  the  fruits  of  his 
industry  in  an  eminent  degree  ;  the  fluctuations  of  the  markets 
have  no  terrors  for  him  ;  he  has  no  notes  to  go  to  protest ;  and  if 
he  did  not  read  the  journals  of  the  day,  he  would  never  know 
when  a  panic  in  financial  affairs  commenced  or  when  it  ended  : 
his  mind  is  not  always  upon  the  rack,  and  he  escapes  the  thou- 
sand annoyances  and  perplexities  to  which  manufacturers  are 
constantly  liable.  But  for  those  who  prefer  the  more  exciting, 
dangerous,  and  uncertain  pursuits  of  manufacturing,  the  facilities 
in  that  direction  are  of  more  than  ordinary  importance  in  Barre 
at  the  present  time,  and  she  has  within  her  limits  the  means  of 
increasing  her  facilities  in  the  immediate  future  to  an  extent  that 
will  place  her  wellnigh  in  the  front  rank.  The  water-power  of 
Barre,  when  fully  developed  and  occupied,  will  far  exceed  that  of 
Ware  at  the  present  time.  This  power  will  be  supplied  sub- 
stantially from  Ware  river  and  Prince  river.  Ware  river,  within 
the  limits  of  Barre,  commences  at  what  is  called  Barre  Falls, 
where  an  immense  power  will  be  created  at  no  very  distant  period. 
From  there  to  Smithville  there  are  a  succession  of  falls,  nearly 
all  of  which  will  be  occupied  for  extensive  manufacturing  pur- 
poses. The  cotton  manufactory  at  Smithville,  which  is  favorably 
known  to  many  of  us,  is  now  doing  a  large  business  ;  and  there  is 
no  doubt  that  the  enterprising  proprietors  will,  when  the  water- 
power  to  which  I  have  alluded  is  developed,  and  our  railroad 
facilities  are  completed,  double  or  treble  the  amount  of  business 
now  done.  Then  comes  the  powder-mill  privilege,  which  will  be 
capable  of  doing  an  extensive  business.  This  power  is  at  present 
lying  idle,  but  from  indications  there  is  a  prospect  that  it  will 
soon  be  occupied. 

Then  comes  the  privilege  at  Dennyville,  which  has  done  for 
the  last  twenty-five  years  or  more  a  very  respectable  amount  of 
business  in  the  manufacture  of  woollen  fabrics  of  almost  all  grades 
and  styles.    This  power  will  be  capable  of  doing  more  than  double 


REMARKS    OF    HON.    EDWARD    DENNY.  233 

the  amount  of  business  it  has  formerly  done.  Then  there  is  the 
privilege  at  Barre  Plains,  which  has  been  occupied  from  time 
immemorial  in  the  manufacture  of  satinets,  cassimeres,  frocking, 
and  stocking  yarn.  Here  also  is  a  grist  and  saw-mill.  Many  amus- 
ing anecdotes  connected  with  this  place  and  its  former  proprietors 
could  be  related,  but  the  time  allowed  for  speaking  will  not  admit 
of  any  digression.  The  other  source  of  water-power,  as  I  have 
said,  comes  from  Prince  river  and  the  reservoir  in  the  north  part 
of  the  town.  Before  the  breaking  away  of  the  dam  of  this  reser- 
voir, the  stream  was  dotted  along  its  whole  length  with  manu- 
factures of  various  kinds,  which  were  all  swept  away  by  the  flood, 
with  the  exception  of  the  mills  at  Rider's  and  Heald's  villages  ; 
but  these  will  probably  all  be  rebuilt  at  some  future  time. 

No  portion  of  our  Commonwealth,  lying  within  a  diameter  of 
twenty  miles  of  which  Barre  is  the  centre,  has  been  so  utterly 
destitute  of  railroad  facilities  as  this  ;  and  it  is  owing  in  a  great 
measure  to  this  fact  that  she  has  not  kept  pace  with  other  towns 
in  this  county  that  have  enjoyed  railroad  facilities.  It  is  not 
more  than  twenty-five  years  since  Barre  was  the  largest  town 
in  the  county,  with  the  exception  of  Worcester.  There  are  now 
five  or  six  towns  that  have  outstripped  it  in  population  and 
valuation.  But,  Mr.  President,  our  turn  is  now  coming.  We 
have  one  railroad  completed  and  in  operation,  and  another  com- 
ing,—  sometime ;  and  when  our  improvements  are  completed,  we 
can  offer  inducements  to  men  of  capital  and  enterprise  second  to 
none.  Capital  and  enterprise  are  all  that  is  wanted,  and  we  are 
to  have  them  when  we  can  offer  sufficient  inducements.  This  is 
all  that  has  made  Winchendon,  Fitchburg,  Milford,  and  Grafton 
what  they  now  are  ;  but  I  hope  and  trust  that  it  will  not  be  many 
years  before  we  shall  be  head  and  shoulders  above  them  all. 

I  find,  on  examination  of  the  statistics  of  manufacturing  in  this 
town,  that  the  number  of  articles  manufactured  and  the  gross 
value  of  the  same  has  far  exceeded  my  expectations.  Time  will 
not  allow  me  to  go  into  the  particulars,  but  I  will  mention  some 
of  the  more  important  items,  viz. :  manufactures  of  cotton  goods, 
manufacture  of  woollen  goods,  hollow-ware  and  castings,  agri- 
cultural implements,  clothing  manufactured,  palm-leaf  manu- 
factured into  hats,  shaker  hoods,  &c.,  marble  and  stone-work, 
tin-ware,  boots,  lumber  manufactured  at  our  numerous  saw-mills, 

30 


234  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

machinery  for  cotton  and  woollen  manufactures,  newspaper  and 
job  printing,  mattresses,  harness  and  saddlery,  cabinet-making, 
planing-mills,  sashes,  doors,  and  blinds,  boxes,  flouring  mills, 
daguerrotypes  and  photographs,  soap,  &c.  —  which  number 
between  twenty  and  thirty  different  branches,  and  will  in  the 
aggregate  amount  to  over  one  million  dollars.  And  I  will  venture 
to  predict  that  when  the  statistics  of  Barre  are  taken  ten  years 
from  this  time,  it  will  be  found  that  the  amount  of  manufactures 
will  have  doubled.  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  I  have  already  occu- 
pied more  time  than  was  allowed  me,  and  I  will  trespass  no  longer, 
as  I  know  it  will  be  far  more  pleasantly  occupied  than  by  listen- 
ing to  these  dull  and,  to  most  of  you,  vminteresting  details. 


XVI.  Past  Business  Men  of  Barre  :  While  the  farmer  has  cultivated  the 
soil,  and  so  furnished  the  means  of  subsistence  to  the  mechanic  whose 
cunning  fingers  have  shaped  the  various  products  to  be  used  for  the  com- 
fort and  convenience  of  man,  the  energy  and  enterprise  of  the  business 
men  of  Barre  —  manufacturers  and  merchants  —  have  contributed  largely 
to  the  reputation  and  fair  fame  of  the  town  ;  <.and  we  ought  not  to  overlook 
the  memory  of  Capt.  Seth  Pratt,  of  Benj.  Clark,  of  Joseph  and  Levi 
Caldwell,  of  John  Smith  and  Phineas  Heywood,  of  Charles  Lee  and 
Harding  P.  Woods,  and  the  hosts  of  others,  living  or  dead,  who  have 
made  the  hum  of  business  to  be  heard  in  our  streets. 


REMARKS   OF  MR.  JAMES   W.  JENKINS. 

Mr.  President^  —  It  is  said  of  Artemas  Ward  that  on  a  certain 
occasion  he  sought  the  nomination  of  the  citizens  to  some  office 
in  their  gift.  Before  making  the  choice  of  a  candidate,  they 
called  upon  him  to  define  his  position  upon  the  "  Maine  Law." 
His  reply  was  satisfactory  to  his  constituents  not  less  than  to 
himself.  He  said,  "  I  am  for  the  law,  but  against  its  enforce- 
ment." 

Now,  sir,  that  is  precisely  my  position  upon  your  "  five-minute 
rule."  It  is  a  good  one,  as  a  rule,  but  to  apply  it  to  the  individual 
who  shall  attempt  to  do  justice  to  the  sentiment  which  you  ask 
me  to  respond  to  is  simply  to  get  a  half-told  tale,  at  best. 

I  regret,  Mr.  President,  that  there  is  so  very  little  history  of  the 
early  business  men   of  Barre.     Prior  to   the  commencement  of 


REMARKS    OF    MR.    JAMES    W.   JENKINS.  235 

the  present  century  there  is  next  to  none.  It  is  evident,  how- 
ever, there  were  traders  and  mechanics  here,  good  ones  too,  a 
hundred  years  ago,  but  few,  if  any,  now  hving  can  recall  their 
names.  Among  the  earliest  now  remembered  were  Cald- 
well and  Rainger,  Abijah  and  Marshall  S.  Bigelow,  Elijah  Cald- 
well, Oliver  Brooks,  Joseph  Thayer,  Moses  Kendall,  Ezra  Baker, 
and  others  down  to  about  1815  or  1817,  when  Mr.  Benjamin 
Clark  left  a  long  and  reputable  clerkship  with  Bowman  and  Pen- 
niman  in  New  Braintree,  and  settled  upon  the  Plain  in  the 
south  part  of  our  town.  This  location  he  soon  left  and  came  to 
the  centre.  He  was  succeeded  at  the  Plain  by  Harding  P. 
Woods  from  the  same  store  in  New  Braintree,  who  also  soon 
followed  Mr.  Clark  to  the  common,  or  centre,  where  each  of 
them  established  and  maintained  a  flourishing,  honorable,  and 
profitable  business.  Mr.  Clark  for  a  tim.e  associated  with  him, 
as  a  partner,  from  the  same  New  Braintree  store,  Mr.  Sampson 
Wetherell,  now,  and  ever  since,  of  Petersham.  With  the  exception 
of  this  short  copartnership,  Mr.  Clai^k  was,  I  think,  alone,  and 
is  remembered  by  many  of  us  present  as  a  high-minded,  square- 
dealing  merchant  and  dignified  gentleman. 

Mr.  Woods  formed,  not  long  after  he  came  to  the  common,  a 
partnership  with  Charles  Lee,  a  son  of  the  "  old  General,"  who 
had  served  a  clerkship  with  Mr.  Jason  Mixter  at  Hardwick, 
This  copartnership  continued  but  a  few  years,  Mr.  Lee  with- 
drawing and  Mr.  Spencer  Field  succeeding,  under  the  firm  of 
Woods  &  Field,  to  which  were  added,  as  they  grew  to  it  from 
time  to  time,  two  or  more  of  the  sons  of  Mr.  Woods,  and  the 
firm  of  Woods,  Field,  &  Co.  became  and  long  continued  a  strong, 
enterprising,  well  conducted  and  highly  successful  concern. 

Mr.  Lee,  after  his  dissolution  with  Mr.  Woods,  spent  a  year  or 
so  as  a  clerk  in  Boston ;  then  returned  to  Barre,  bought  the 
stock  and  business  of  Mr.  Clark,  and,  with  his  brother  Artemas,  of 
Templeton,  established  the  firm  of  Charles  Lee  &  Co.  This 
firm  continued  several  years,  until  E.  W.  Prouty  was  added  to 
the  firm,  and  it  took  the  name  of  Lee,  Prouty,  &  Co.,  and  so  con- 
tinued until  1S34,  when  Artemas  Lee  and  Mr.  Prouty  withdrew 
their  connection,  and  a  new  firm  of  Charles  Lee  and  J.  W.  Jen- 
kins, Jr.,  was  formed,  under  the  firm-name  of  Lee  &  Jenkins. 
To  this  copartnership  was  afterwards  added  two  of  their  clerks, 


236  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

viz.,  Clark  S.  Bixby  and  Lyman  E.  Sibley.  After  their  admission, 
the  firm  became  Lee,  Jenkins,  &  Co.,  and  as  such  continued  until 
January,  1S40,  when  Mr.  Lee  was  lost  on  board  the  steamer 
"  Lexington  "  in  Long  Island  Sound,  on  his  way  from  New  York 
to  Boston.  This  firm  was  succeeded  by  Jenkins,  Gorham,  &  Co., 
and  so  continued  until  1852,  when  it  was  dissolved,  and  the  mem- 
bers retired. 

The  firms  of  Woods,  Field,  &  Co.,  and  Lee,  Jenkins,  &  Co., 
—  without  enumerating  the  different  changes  in  their  firms, — 
I  shall  be  pardoned  for  saying  were  equal  to  the  emergency  of 
the  times,  opened  new  business,  perfected  the  system  of  market- 
ing farmers'  produce,  entered  extensively  into  the  manufacture  of 
palm-leaf  hats  and  hoods,  and  sold  an  unprecedented  amount  of 
goods  through  a  large  circuit  of  towns  in  this  section  of  the  State. 
Both  concerns  felt  themselves  well  officered  and  strongly  manned, 
with  sufficient  means  to  keep  heavy  stocks  of  goods,  and  to  main- 
tain a  long  and  unremitting  competition  to  the  end,  both  claiming 
the  mastery,  which  really  neither  of  them  achieved  over  the  other. 

Many  before  me  have  not  forgotten  the  sleepless  energy  with 
which  these  two  firms  sought  to  increase  and  widen  the  bounds 
of  their  trade,  or  the  long  line  of  farmers'  wagons  loaded  with 
the  produce  of  the  farms,  chiefly  cheese  and  pork,  on  alternate 
Saturday  mornings  ;  the  merriment  and  expedition  with  which 
it  was  received,  weighed,  and  reloaded  upon  the  string  of  team 
wagons  for  market,  and  the  occasional  good  cheer  of  some  of  the 
famous  market-men  of  that  day  (a  few  of  whom  only  are  left), 
familiarly  known  at  both  ends,  and  middle  too,  of  the  line  as 
"  Uncle  Jack,"  "  Uncle  Jotham,"  "  Capt.  Jim,"  "  Capt.  David," 
"Jason,"  "Allen,"  "Mr.  David,"  and  so  on  to  the  end.  Now, 
Mr.  President,  the  "  prohibitory  law  "  was  not  then  known,  so 
any  marked  temperance  observable  in  these  men  at  that  time 
could  not  have  been  justly  ascribed  to  its  influence. 

Mr.  Lee  died,  as  before  stated,  at  forty-two  years  of  age,  in  the 
prime  of  a  useful  and  highly  successful  business  life.  Mr.  Woods 
died  in  1S67,  at  seventy-three  years  of  age,  leaving  a  large  fam- 
ily to  enjoy  the  benefits  of  his  good  name  and  ample  fortune. 
Mr.  Clark,  of  whom  I  have  before  spoken,  after  selling  his  busi- 
ness to  Mr.  Lee,  completed  the  construction  of  the  first  cotton 
factory  of  any  note  in   this   section  of  the   State,  long  known  as 


REMARKS   OF   MR.   JAMES   W.   JENKINS.  237 

Clark's  factory,  now  Smithville.  This  nearly  unaided  enterprise 
was  heroically  carried  to  completion  by  Mr.  Clark,  —  I  am  sorry 
to  add,  at  the  cost  to  him  of  a  large  part  of  the  very  snug  fortune 
with  which  he  commenced  the  long-cherished  scheme.  After 
selling  his  remaining  interest,  about  1833  he  went  West,  invested 
his  means  with  great  care  and  wisdom,  and  is,  I  believe,  now 
living  in  Central  Illinois,  a  highly  respected  and  deservedly  wealthy 
gentleman. 

These,  with  many  others  more  or  less  known,  whom  your 
memories  will  readily  supply,  comprise  the  men  who  did  their 
full  share  in  giving  a  good  business  reputation  to  our  town.  And 
here,  Mr.  President,  I  cannot,  in  justice,  omit  calling  to  mind  some 
others,  natives  or  adopted  sons  of  the  town,  of  marked  fame  in 
this  and  other  places.  First,  Horatio  Gates,  to  whom  the  Orator 
of  the  day  has  done  ample  justice  ;  Col.  Artemas  Lee,  late  of 
Templeton,  a  successful,  widely-known,  thorough-going,  far-seeing 
aspirant  for  power  and  fortune  ;  Ezra  Baker,  who,  though  less  fort- 
unate in  the  acquisition  of  worldly  wealth  than  many  of  his  con- 
temporaries, was,  nevertheless,  highly  so  in  securing  to  himself  a 
reputation  for  honesty  and  fidelity  to  principle  unsurpassed  in  this 
or  any  other  community.  From  his  store  and  training  went  the  late 
Charles  F.  Hovey,  who  started  and  carried  to  full  success  in  Bos- 
ton the  largest  retail  dry-goods  store  in  New  England.  In  that 
enterprise  Mr.  Hovey  was  largely  and  ably  aided  by  two  natives 
of  our  town,  who  with  others  continue  the  same  firm  of  C.  F. 
Hovey  &  Co. ;  viz.,  Henry  Woods  and  Samuel  P.  Mandell.  In 
their  hands  the  house  will  continue  to  enjoy  its  well-earned  repu- 
tation. Nor  are  these  all  "  of  our  boys"  who  have  sought  and 
found  homes  and  success  in  Boston.  There  are  three,  at  least, 
from  the  store  of  Lee,  Jenkins,  &  Co.,  viz.,  Clark  S.  Bixby, 
Lyman  E.  Sibley,  and  Col.  Henry  R.  Sibley.  The  latter  has  told 
you  his  story  of  the  Rebellion,  and  told  it  well  too.  It  is  enough 
here  to  say  of  all  of  them,  that  their  success  has  not  disappointed 
the  expectations  of  their  friends  here,  nor  have  their  good  char- 
acters failed  of  appreciation  in  their  new  holmes,  where  two  of 
them  still  reside.  Mr.  Bixby  died  a  few  years  ago  (after  giving 
four  sons  public  education)  lamented,  and  his  memory  is  esteemed 
by  all  who  knew  him. 

Qiiite  early  in  the  century,  Capt.  Seth  Pratt  conceived  the  idea 


238  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

of  utilizing  the  waters  of  Wai'e  river  by  a  canal,  some  half  a  mile, 
into  an  artificial  pond  (making  his  levels  with  milk-pans),  and 
established  a  grain  and  saw  mill ;  also  then,  or  soon  after,  erected 
a  "  clothier's  mill  "  for  finishing  "  homespun  "  from  the  wheels 
and  looms  of  the  busy  women  of  that  day. 

This  enterprise  was  a  success  achieved  under  great  disadvan- 
tages, and  made  the  "  Plains  "  a  place  of  note,  as  a  business  point, 
for  a  long  time,  and  the  town  largely  his  debtor.  All  honor  to 
the  memory  of  the  De  Witt  Clinton  of  that  time  ! 

The  business  so  started  by  Capt.  Pratt  has  been  continued  by 
son  and  son-in-law,  Phineas  Heywood  and  grandson,  Seth  Pratt 
Heywood,  until  within  a  short  time,  and  is  now  a  leading  interest 
to  the  south  part  of  the  town.  But,  Mr.  President,  I  can't  stop, 
but  must  after  simply  alluding  to  Smithville,  and  the  eminent 
success  of  John  Smith  and  his  two  sons,  its  owners  and  operators  ; 
of  Dennyville,  the  founders  and  various  operators  from  Hiram 
Wadsworth  to  the  present  owner  ;  of  the  Rices,  Earl  and  Charles, 
the  pioneers  in  building  farm  wagons  and  more  finished  family 
vehicles ;  Paul  and  Benjamin,  early  and  long-continued  scythe 
manufacturers ;  the  valuable  and  enterprising  foundry  and  ma- 
chine works  of  Stephen  Heald  &  Sons,  to  its  owners  a  success, 
to  its  founder  honor,  to  the  town  a  Godsend  ;  and  I  might  go  on, 
but  a  nod  is  sufficient,  and  I  will  finish  at  our  next  celebration 
of  this  event  if  allowed  to  be  present. 

XVII.  Palm  Leaf:  In  its  various  forms  and  developments  it  has 
proved  a  staple  of  great  value  for  the  productive  industry  and  extensive 
enterprise  of  Barre,  and  been  to  her  citizens  a  mine  of  wealth. 

REMARKS   OF  HON.   GEORGE  M.   BUTTRICK. 

It  is  some  less  than  fifty  years  since  the  first  palm  leaf  was 
imported  into  this  country  by  Mr.  Perrin,  of  Boston.  Mr.  Perrin 
had  a  few  hats  braided  as  an  experiment,  which  proved  both 
practicable  and  pro^table. 

Soon  after,  Mr.  Sampson  Wetherell,  a  merchant  of  Petersham, 
and  an  enterprising  firm  in  Barre,  Messrs.  H.  P.  Woods  and 
Spencer  Field,  commenced  the  manufacturing  of  palm-leaf  hats 
on  a  small  scale.     The  goods  having  a  ready  sale,  they  immedi- 


REMARKS    OF    REV.    MR.    BOND.  239 

atel}'  enlarged  the  business.  Other  parties  engaged  in  it,  till  it 
increased  to  such  an  extent  that  they  were  manufactured  by  the 
hundred  thousand  dozens  yearly.  About  forty  years  ago  a  bonnet, 
known  as  the  "  Shaker  Hood,"  was  woven  from  the  palm  leaf, 
which  was  in  great  demand  and  a  financial  success. 

The  business  increased  from  year  to  year  until  at  one  time  in 
this  town  alone  there  were  five  firms,  each  employing  from  thirty 
to  one  hundred  girls  and  from  ten  to  fifty  men,  while  the  families 
engaged  in  braidin'g  the  hats  and  weaving  the  sheets  for  the 
hoods  in  Barre  and  vicinity  could  be  numbered  by  the  thousands. 
All  the  business  done  in  palm  leaf  in  this  country  has  been 
confined  to  Western  Massachusetts,  a  part  of  New  Hampshire, 
and  the  eastern  portions  of  Vermont. 

Probably  the  whole  business  never  exceeded  much  over  one 
million  dollars  per  annum.  Barre  seemed  to  be  the  head-quarters 
or  great  centre  of  trade,  as  there  were  more  hoods  made,  hats 
bought,  pressed,  finished  and  furnished  for  the  market  here,  than 
from  any  other  town.  It  was  for  several  years  the  largest  busi- 
ness done  in  the  place. 

The  President.  —  I  see  on  the  platform  a  gentleman 
who,  during  his  residence  here,  made  many  friends,  and 
you,  I  know,  would  be  glad  to  hear  his  voice  once  more, 
and  especially  on  this  occasion.  I  introduce  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Bond. 

remarks  of  rev.  mr.  bond. 

I  may  truly  say,  my  friends,  that  I  am  now  called  upon  unex- 
pectedly, and,  though,  at  this  late  hour,  I  am  unwilling  not  to  be 
heard  since  the  opportunity  is  given.  I  have  not  the  right  as  a  na- 
tive of  this  town  to  speak  to  you  ;  but  as  one  who  was  adopted, 
was  received  cordially  and  kindly  treated,  I  will  say  to  you  that 
the  dearest  recollections  of  my  life  are  those  connected  with  this 
blessed  town  of  Barre,  for  here  I  spent  perhaps  the  most  inter- 
esting period  of  any  man's  life.  Here  were  born  to  me  two  of 
my  children  ;  would  to  God  they  were  here  to-day  to  witness  the 
interesting  services  of  these  hours,  and  I  can  only  imperfectly 
represent  them.  Nothing  pleases  me  more,  my  friends,  than  the 
few  words  which  were  uttered   to-day  by  your    Orator,   when, 


240  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

referring  to  his  own  dear  father,  he  aHuded  to  the  words  which 
I  was  called  to  speak  after  that  dear  old  man  was  gone  from  us, 
no  more  to  be  in  our  midst.  No  words  uttered  here  to-day  have 
touched  me  so  closely  as  those  words  the  son  of  my  friend  Dr. 
Thompson  said  ;  and,  as  I  have  often  said,  nothing  made  me  love 
your  good  old  town  as  our  good  old  Dr.  Thompson,  with  whom 
I  was  so  closely  connected,  he  who  always  treated  me  with  such 
kind  and  tender  consideration.  How  well  I  remember  the  very 
words  with  which  he  always  closed  his  correspondence,  "  In  the 
beauty  and  grace  of  the  Lord  "  !  My  friends,  I  can  say  but  a  few 
words  more  to  you.  When  called  upon  to  leave  you,  I  went  to  a 
distant  town,  to  a  distant  field  of  labor  ;  after  a  few  years  to  a  more 
distant  field  in  the  West ;  and  since  then  I  have  wandered  from  East 
to  West,  and  yet,  amid  the  most  distant  scenes,  old  Barre  would 
come  to  my  mind  with  its  dear  associations.  How  delighted  I 
have  always  been  to  think  of  them  !  and  now,  as  I  go  soon  to  a 
new  field  of  labor,  —  for  with  you  who  were  my  friends,  I  cannot 
help  giving  you  a  little  of  my  personal  history, — I  am  bound 
for  a  new  kind  of  work  in  a  new  field,  that  great  State  of  Colo- 
rado, to  labor  among  that  class  of  people  who  are  socially  de- 
graded, but  who  have  been  too  much  despised,  and  hope  to  be, 
under  God,  able  to  do  some  little  to  elevate  and  to  civilize 
and  convert  to  Christianity  the  Indian.  I  expect  to  spend  a  few 
years  with  them,  and  when  I  go  there,  —  as  in  other  places  where 
I  have  been, — the  dear  recollections  of  Barre  shall  go  with  me. 
Oh  !  if  any  thing  has  been  done  in  my  past  life  to  prepare  me  for 
such  a  work  as  that  in  which  I  shall  shortly  engage,  it  is  the 
interest  which  was  awakened  by  my  first  living  among  you,  when 
I  here  consecrated  myself,  in  that  old  church  which  you  will 
remember,  to  the  service  of  Almighty  God.  I  recall  those  days. 
I  recall  all  the  days  in  my  experience  with  these  dear  friends, 
whose  faces  I  have  recognized  here  to-day ;  and  let  me  say  that 
it  is  with  mingled  pain  and  pleasure  that  I  have  looked  over 
these  faces,  because,  seeing  some,  I  remember  others  who  are  not 
here,  and,  of  many  of  those  whose  faces  are  distinct  to  me,  I  find 
it  is  difficult  to  recall  the  names.  And  then,  again,  there  may  be 
some  of  you  who  have  changed  their  names,  and  therefore,  if  I 
should  happen  to  make  a  mistake  and  call  you  by  the  name 
which  you  used  to  be  known  by  in  your  childhood,  why,  of  course, 


REMARKS    OF    HON.    GINERY    TWICHELL.  24I 

you  will  not  wonder  at  it.  God  bless  this  good  old  town  !  I  was 
born  in  Boston,  but  Barre  has  dearer  associations  for  me  even 
than  Boston.  I  was  surprised,  yea,  not  surprised.  A  man  may 
remember  the  delights  of  his  childhood,  but  when  he  becomes  a 
man  he  takes  upon  himself  the  work  of  a  man,  and  desires  in 
his  sphere,  whatever  it  may  be,  to  do  his  work  faithfully,  and 
when  he  consecrates  himi^elf  to  this  work  is  the  interesting  period. 
Friends,  I  thank  you  for  thus  listening  to  me,  and  only  wish  I 
could  more  fitly,  and  with  more  satisfaction  to  myself,  utter  the 
thoughts  that  come  to  my  heart  at  this  hour.  I  shall  remember 
you,  and  I  trust  that  you  will  remember  me. 

REMARKS    OF  HON.    GINERY  TWICHELL. 

Mr.  President^  —  You  have  no  right  to  call  upon  me  at  this 
late  hour  or  on  this  occasion.  I  have  spoken  for  Barre  for  forty- 
four  years,  and  I  should  be  glad  to  speak  again.  I  intend  to 
speak  again  for  Barre  if  I  live  long  enough.  Sir,  in  the  remarks 
of  your  Orator  to-day  he  has  compared  Barre  with  other  towns 
with  regard  to  education,  with  regard  to  schools.  It  has  been 
thrown  in  my  face  hundreds  of  miles  from  Barre  that  the  good 
old  town  was  selling  her  school-houses  at  auction.  Let  those 
gentlemen  come  here  and  listen,  or  let  them  read  that  address, 
and  they  will  be  better  convinced  that  they  were  entirely  mis- 
taken than  they  were  by  what  I  could  say  in  defence  of  it.  I 
had  hoped,  sir,  in  speaking  of  the  press  here  thi«  afternoon,  that 
the  Barre  press  would  have  been  spoken  for.  I  remember,  sir, 
and  some  of  my  friends  well  remember,  when  Charles  C.  P. 
Thompson  came  here  and  established  the  "  Farmer's  Gazette." 
I  remember  that,  because  I  aided  Mr.  Thompson  to  forward  his 
enterprise,  I  was  discharged  from  the  place  where  I  was  work- 
ing for  twelve  dollars  a  month.  The  old  "  Spy,"  that  has  been 
alluded  to  to-day,  let  me  tell  you,  stood  in  the  way.  The  propri- 
etor of  the  Barre  stage  was  bringing  the  "Spy"  here,  and  the 
"  Barre  Gazette,"  if  it  was  established,  would  interfere  with  it. 
It  was  established,  and  I  was  reinstated. 

I  remember  the  old  church  here.  I  should  be  glad  if  I  had 
time  to  dwell  upon  some  of  these  interesting  landmarks  here  to- 
day.   I  remember  the  old  church  ;  the  old  figures  of"  1790"  upon 

31 


242  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

it ;  the  old  square  pews  ;  and  that  everybody  in  the  town  went 
there,  square  men,  square  women,  to  occupy  those  pews.  I  re- 
member that  some  of  them  wanted  to  get  up  a  little  higher,  and 
so  went  up  onto  the  hill  and  built  the  little  brick  church,  —  the 
Evangelical.  I  remember  what  became  of  it,  and  what  use  it  was 
put  to  afterwards.  I  remember  when  they  came  down  to  the 
common  and  put  their  church  near  tlie  other  old  one.  I  have 
seen  to-day,  and  I  don't  intend  to  detain  you  longer  than  to  say 
that  those  churches  to-day  are  united  by  a  rope  with  the  Union 
flag  hung  half  way  between  them.  You  have  gained  something 
by  calling  your  people  together,  by  opening  your  hearts,  by  bring- 
ing your  singers  here  from  all  the  churches,  by  your  ministers  all 
taking  part.  You  are  coming  back  to  old  times.  I  remember 
that  your  minister  preached  to  the  whole  people  here  for  twenty- 
five  years.  I  remember  exactly  when  you  separated,  and  what 
impressions  were  made  upon  me.  And  in  some  respects  it  did 
some  good  for  you  to  go  3'our  own  way.  You  have  had  your  own 
way,  but,  after  all,  you  never  had  a  better  man,  I  know  you  will 
all  say  it ;  and  there  never  was  a  better  son  than  the  Orator  that 
you  have  brought  here  ;  there  never  was  a  better  oration  ;  and 
let  every  man  and  every  woman  subscribe  for  it,  and  come  here 
if  you  live  out  tlie  end  of  this  century. 

In  extending  the  courtesies  of  the  occasion,  the  Com- 
mittee voted  that  an  invitation  be  extended  to  each  of  the 
adjoining  towns  to  be  represented  in  their  municipal  capac- 
ity, to  which  they  all  responded,  and  the  appointment  of 
Delegates  was  as  follows  :  — 

From  Rittla7td^  —  Hon.  J.  Warren  Bigelow. 

„  Oakliam^ — Jesse  Allen,  Esq. 

„  New  Brahitree,  —  Benj.  F.  Hamilton. 

„  Hardivick^  —  Constant  Southworth,  Esq. 

„  Dana,  —  Hon.  L.  M.  Johnson. 

„  Petersham,  —  Deacon  Cephas  Willard. 

„  PhilUpston, — Mr.  Henry  S.  Miner. 

,,  Hubbardston,  —  Deacon  Andrew  Gleason. 

Sentiments  in  recognition  of  each  were  oflered,  and  the 
responses  are  herewith  presented  :  — 


RExMARKS    OF    MR.    HENRY    S.    MINER.  243 

1st.  Rutland :  Our  mother,  or  our  elder  sister !  Though  she  was 
willing  we  should  set  up  house-keeping  four  years  and  nine  months  before 
our  guardian  thought  we  were  capable,  we  bear  her  no  malice  on  that 
account,  but  welcome  her  representative  here  to-day  right  heartily. 

Mr.  BiGELOW  responded  from  written  notes,  with  great 
appropriateness,  and  we  regret  that  his  modesty  prevents 
our  making  permanent  his  remarks. 

2d.  Hubbardston :  Named  in  honor  of  a  Speaker  of  the  House  of 
Representatives.  A  younger  sister,  though,  as  frequently  happens,  she 
was  settled  in  life  first.  Her  citizens  usually  speak  by  their  deeds, 
though  many  also  talk  well.  We  rejoice  in  her  prosperity,  —  welcome 
her  here  to-day,  —  and  will  listen  to  her  speaker. 

Deacon  Gleason  had  returned  home. 

3d.  Oak/iafn  :  Her  territory  smaller  and  her  population  less  than  her 
sister  towns  of  old  '*  Naquag."  If  her  soil  is  less  productive  than  that  of 
her  sister  towns,  from  the  character  of  her  citizens  is  she  well  entitled  to 
the  right  hand  of  fellowship  and  the  cordial  greeting  we  give  her  to-day. 

Her  Representative  did  not  answer  to  the  call  upon  him. 

4th.  A'i'w  Braintree :  Pioneer  town  in  the  production  of  superior 
new  milk  cheese.  The  grazing  lands  on  her  hill-sides  and  the  herds  feed- 
ing there  have  been  a  source  of  profit  and  admiration.  All  honor  to  the 
industry,  skill,  and  science  of  New  Braintree  farmers.  May  their  pros- 
perity continue  to  increase  as  the  years  go  by. 

Mr.  Hamilton,  too,  failed  to  be  heard  from. 

5th.  Dana:  If  the  products  of  her  soil  are  not  as  large  as  those  in 
some  of  her  sister  towns,  she  raises  men  such  as  no  town  need  be  ashamed 
of,  and  knows  how  to  avail  herself  of  them. 

To  this  there  was  no  response,  the  Delegate  having  left. 

6th.  Phillipsio7t :  As  "  Gerry,"  for  some  years  she  honored  a  dis- 
tinguished representative  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  but,  fol- 
lowing our  example,  when  her  patron,  by  the  famous  "  Gerry  Mandamus  " 
Act,  lost  his  popularity  in  the  State,  she  cast  his  name  aside,  and  took  a 
longer,  if  not  a  better,  one.  She  recognizes  merit,  under  whatever  name 
it  comes,  and  knows  a  good  farmer,  though  he  be  called  "  Miner." 

REMARKS    OF  MR.    HENRY    S.   MINER. 

I  supposed  it  was  generally  known  among  all  present  that  the 
town  of  Gerry  had  lost  her  good  honest  name  and  taken  to  herself 


244  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

a  better  one.  We  have  been  told  by  a  gentleman  here  present, 
and  it  has  been  said  for  the  last  twenty-five  years,  that  tlie  farmer 
is  to  be  the  coming  man.  We  have  watched  very  closely,  but, 
somehow  or  other,  he  fails  to  put  in  an  appearance.  In  response 
to  your  last  sentiment,  I  hardly  know  how  to  answer;  but  I  will 
say  to  all  present,  whether  they  are  mining  for  gold,  for  pleasure, 
for  profit,  for  reputation,  if  they  are  only  true  miners  they  will 
never  be  ashamed  of  their  calling.  In  closing,  let  me  give  this 
sentiment,  — 

"The  good  old  farming  town  of  Barre.  May  her  acres  always  be  as 
pleasant  to  look  upon  as  they  are  here  to-day.  May  she  never  grow 
brown  with  age,  and  may  her  trees  and  shrubs  continue  to  put  forth  the 
choicest  blossoms,  till  the  old  town  shall  blossom  like  the  rose." 

yth.  Ha7'divick :  Formerly  "  Lamb's  town,"  from  one  of  its  original 
proprietors,  Joshua  Lamb.  With  a  good  hardy  soil,  a  reliable,  industrious 
population,  thriving  manufacturing  villages,  and  convenient  railroad 
facilities,  it  may  look  forward  to  a  future  of  increased  prosperity  when  the 
Massachusetts  Central  Railroad  shall  have  fulfilled  its  promises. 

REMARKS   OF  MR.    CONSTANT  SOUTHWORTH. 

Mr.  President,  —  Before  you  stands  Hardwick,  a  true  repre- 
sentative of  her  rough  exterior,  and  as  you  see,  by  these  whitened 
locks,  about  thirty-six  years  the  senior  of  her  sister  Barre.  A 
rough  though  matronly  old  lady  as  I  am,  I  think  I  have  quite  a 
respectable  family  of  sons  and  daughters,  besides  some  adopted 
little  ones,  nestling  in  my  bosom,  yet  to  my  younger  sister  as 
these  thousands  of  upturned  faces  demonstrate,  I  must  award  the 
palm  of  having  been  much  more  prolific  in  her  progeny.  Though 
the  homestead  of  myself  and  sister  may  be  about  equal  in  acreage, 
yet  I  freely  confess  that  the  younger  has  outstripped  me  in  pro- 
ducing milk,  bread,  and  butter  for  our  little  ones  ;  and  her  children 
—  pesky,  smart  fellows  —  have  outstripped  mine  in  the  manufacture 
of  most  things  that  go  to  make  up  the  comforts  of  the  family,  —  such 
as  head-gears  and  foot-gears,  and  cottons  for  shirts  and  chemises, 
and  in  things  substantial  and  ornamental,  in  knick-knacks  and 
gew-gaws,  in  brag  and  in  gas,  I  confess  that  I  retire  behind  the 
scenes.  This  young  sister  also  excels  me  in  the  number  of  her 
merchants,  artisans,  mechanics,  doctors,  lawyers,  and,  I  guess,  in 


REMARKS    OF    DEACON    CEPHAS    WILLARD.  245 

ministers  and  church  spires  ;  but  more  especially  does  she  excel 
my  children  in  gentleme7t  loafers.  But,  Mr.  President,  when  you 
come  down  to  the  solid  things  of  this  world,  such  as  rocks  and 
stones  and  uncouth  places  in  nature;  when  the  children  of  this 
young  sister  talk  of  petticoats  and  flannels,  of  stud-horses  and 
bull-fights  ;  when  they  talk  of  stormy  town  meetings  and  of  sledge- 
hammer oratory,  why,  sir,  my  children  can  beat  the  children  of 
this  younger  sister  all  hollow. 

And  now,  sir,  this  old  lady  gives  out  this  very  promising  hope 
(wiiat  a  consoler  this  little  word  "hope"  is!),  that  the  Central 
Railroad  will,  on  or  before  the  17th  day  of  June,  a.d.  19741  have 
fulfilled  all  its  promises.  Now,  Mr.  President,  one  very  wise 
prophecy  in  relation  to  this  vital  enterprise,  and  this  old  lady 
retires  from  public  view.      We  shall  see  iv/iat  ive  do  see. 

8th.  Petersham  :  As  "  Nichewaus:,"  the  honre  of  the  Indians,  — as  the 
volunteer  town,  "  where  the  defenders  of  the  colony  received  compensa- 
tion for  services  rendered,"  —  and  as  the  place  where  the  famous  Shay's 
rebellion  made  its  last  public  appearance,  —  its  record  is  lofty  as  is  its  situ- 
ation ;  and  if  its  hills  are  too  high  for  railroads  to  climb,  the  hardy  virtues 
of  a  New  England  town  may  thrive  better  out  of  the  reach  of  the  "  Iron 
Horse." 

The  venerable  and  highly  esteemed  citizen  of  Petersham, 
Deacon  Cephas  Willard,  had  been  appointed  by  Select- 
men to  represent  the  town,  and  his  prepared  speech  was  as 
follows  :  — 

REMARKS   OF  DEACON   CEPHAS   WILLARD. 

Mr.  Chairman.,  —  It  may  be  conceded  as  the  privilege  of  old 
age  to  be  excused  from  any  attempt  at  oratory  on  an  occasion  so 
important,  and  attracting  so  large  and  interested  an  assembly,  as 
the  present;  and  yet,  appearing  here  by  the  request  of  my  fel- 
low-townsmen as  their  representative,  to  express  now  and  here 
those  sentiments  of  friendly  and  neighborly  esteem,  sympathy,  and 
good-will  which  have  ever  so  happily  subsisted  without  inter- 
ruption between  the  two  towns  and  their  inhabitants  from  their 
first  planting,  and  their  sincere  and  heart-felt  congratulations  on 
this  Memorial  Centennial  day,  which  has  called  together  from 
near  and  afar  the  natives  and  friends  of  your  honored  and  pros- 


246  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

perous  town,  I  beg  to  be  allowed  to  put  in  writing  what  I  feel 
myself  unequal  to  express  formally  in  an  oral  address,  with  the 
request  that  it  may  be  obligingly  read  from  the  cfiair. 

In  reply  to  the  sentiment  just  read,  I  will  say,  that  the  allusion 
in  it  to  "Nichewaug"  as  "the  home  of  the  Indians"  is  so  far 
justified,  that  the  township  did  originally  contain  in  its  southern 
part  a  small  settlement  of  the  aborigines,  of  whom,  however,  we 
have  but  few  traditions;  yet  these  all  testify  to  the  friendship  and 
good-will  with  which  they  looked  upon  the  early  settlers  of  the 
town.  The  "horrors  of  Indian  hostility"  were  never  known 
here;  and  the  reason  is  probably  found  in  a  fact,  which  I  believe 
is  undisputed,  that  the  first  inhabitants  of  Nichewaug  honorably 
paid  the  Indian  proprietors  a  fidl  equivalent  for  the  lands  on 
■which  they  settled.  I  myself  well  remember  a  slight  incident  in 
point.  I  heard,  when  a  boy,  Captain  Joseph  Stevens,  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  Nichewaug,  relate  to  my  mother  that  he  was 
once  out  gunning  with  Edward  Baker  ;  and  finding  no  game,  they 
fired  at  a  mark,  setting  up  a  hat  in  the  knot-hole  of  a  fallen  tree. 
The  hat  was  riddled  so  effectually  as  to  render  it  useless.  All  at 
once  two  Indians,  who  had  concealed  themselves,  made  their 
appearance.  But  instead  of  any  unfriendly  interference,  they 
good-naturedly  inspected  the  riddled  target,  exclaiming,  with 
some  warmth,  "  Good  shot!  Good  shot!"  When,  afterwards, 
the  Indians  were  inquired  of  why  they  permitted  Baker  and 
Stevens  to  go  away  without  injury,  they  replied,  that  they  were 
not  enemies  to  the  people  of  Nichewaug,  for  the}'  had  fairly 
bought  their  land  and  paid  them  for  it. 

The  friendly  allusion  you  have  made  to  Nichewaug  as  the 
"  volunteer  town "  allows  me  to  state  the  fact,  in  explanation 
of  this  cognomen,  that  the  original  petitioners  and  proprietors  of 
the  town  were  what  have  been  known  as  "  Lovel's  Men,"  volun- 
teers in  the  long-famed  expedition  to  Lake  VVinnipisseogee,  which 
has  since  been  known  as  "■  Level's  Fight." 

As  regards  the  "  last  appearauce  "  of  the  Shay's  rebellion,  I 
may  be  permitted  to  say  of  that  event,  that  I  was  present  on  the 
occasion,  not  indeed  "  bearing  anns,"  but  rather  "  borne  in  arms," 
being  at  the  time  about  nine  weeks  old.  For  Shay's  men  had 
forcibly  occupied  my  father's  house,  and  passed  the  night  there  ; 
and  were  eagerly  awaiting  their   breakfast  when   they  descried 


REMARKS    OF    DEACON    CEPHAS    WILLARD.  247 

the  soldiers  of  Lincoln's  army  marching  up  the  hill.  So  quickly 
did  they  disperse,  that  they  not  only  left  their  breakfast  to  be 
eaten  by  the  loyal  Lincoln  men,  but  one  man  left  behind  his 
musket,  which  he  never  returned  to  reclaim.  This  was  after- 
wards sold  by  my  brother  for  the  sum  of  six  dollars.  I  may  add, 
that  I  had  a  brother  in  Lincoln's  army,  who  marched  with  it 
from  Hadley  on  that  memorable  night. 

Your  complimentary  notice  of  Nichewaug,  or  Petersham,  as 
lofty  in  its  "  record  "  "  as  its  situation,"  does  us  honor  ;  while,  if 
we  are  indeed  "  too  high  for  railroads  to  climb,"  we  are  yet  not 
wholly  excluded  and  cut  off  from  those  great  channels  of  swift 
communication  with  which  modern  improvement  has  more 
directly  benefited  your  own  and  so  many  more  favored  towns. 
We  are  in  these  "  fast  times"  but  a  single  hour  behind  our  neigh- 
bors, and  have  only  to  rise  an  hour  earlier  than  they  ;  while  we 
can  readily  hear,  at  five  or  six  miles  distant,  the  whistle  of  tlie 
"  iron  horse,"  and  even  feel  the  tremulous  jar  of  rumbling  trains 
through  the  solid  crust  of  our  frost-bound  hills.  Happily  our 
remoteness  and  exclusion  from  the  immediate  benefits  of  railway 
travel  are  not  without  compensation,  in  promoting  the  social 
intercourse  of  our  people,  and  fostering  the  higher  interests  of 
domestic  virtue  and  religion,  of  order  and  good  morals.  Our  pure 
mountain  air  is  as  eagerly  sought  by  the  invalids  of  crowded  cities 
as  by  those  in  quest  of  healthful  retirement  and  summer  recreation 
amidst  the  attractive  scenes  of  natural  beauty  which  surround  us, 
and  to  whose  attractions  our  friendly  neighboring  towns  so  gener- 
ously contribute. 

But  pardon,  Mr.  Chairman,  this  display  of  egotism  in  behalf  of 
my  native  town,  into  which  your  complimentary  notice  of  it  has 
betrayed  me.  After  all  vain  boasting,  it  must  be  confessed  we 
have  never  been  as  successful  as  you,  either  in  "running"  fac- 
tories or  newspapers,  a  railroad,  or  even  a  hotel. 

But  this  h  your  Memorial-day,  not  ours.  Its  honors  all  belong 
to  you,  not  us.  Yet  we  of  Petersham  may  greet  it,  and  share  its 
memories  and  hopes  all  the  more  warmly  in  view  of  the  happy 
concord  and  friendly  harmony  which  have  marked  so  uniformly 
the  relations  of  both  towns,  —  never,  I  believe,  either  as  corpora- 
tions or  individuals,  disturbed  by  unhappy  strife  or  altercation. 
We  have  ever  looked  without  envy,  rather  with  friendly  sympathy 


248  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

and  pride,  upon  the  enterprise,  growth,  prosperity,  and  increas- 
ing importance  of  our  persevering  and  public-spirited  neighbors. 
The  success  they  have  won  is  a  deserved  one. 

And^now,  on  the  threshold  of  a  new  century,  we  heartily  bid 
you  God  speed,  hoping  that  by  the  wise  forethought  of  man,  and 
the  blessing  of  Almighty  God,  the  days  to  you  may  never  come 
-when  it  may  with  justice  be  said,  "  Truly  the  former  days  were 
better  than  these." 

Permit  me,  Mr.  Chairman,  in  conclusion,  to  present,  in  behalt 
of  my  fellow-townsmen,  the  sentiment  following:  — 

Barre  and  Petersham  :  One  and  inseparable  in  the  happy  fellowsliip  of 
the  past.  May  the  beautiful  chain  of  hills  which  form  the  common  bounds 
of  both  be  the  enduring  symbol  and  pledge  of  like  unbroken  friendship  in 
the  future ! 

REMARKS   OF  MR.  JAMES   W.   BROOKS. 

J[fr.  President,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen,  —  I  had  a  great  many 
things  I  wanted  to  say  to-day,  but  I  am  aware  that  this  is  a  family 
gathering,  and  that  every  moment  belongs  to  you,  that  no  outsider 
should  impose  on  the  moments  that  are  left;  but  I  cannot  let 
Petersham  go  by  without  saying  one  word.  And  I  want  to  have 
a  fling  at  your  Orator  for  the  comparisons  he  made  in  his  address. 
I  have  come  down  here  to  witness  the  general  glorification  of 
Barre,  and  I  shall  simply  tell  you  a  story  of  a  gathering,  said  to 
have  taken  place  on  the  continent  of  Europe,  one  fourth  of  July, 
of  Americans.  They  assembled,  and  asked  one  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished of  their  number  to  preside.  He  takes  his  place, 
alludes  to  the  transactions  taking  place  across  the  Atlantic,  says 
the  appropriate  thing  that  should  have  been  said,  but  which  I 
have  no  time  to  repeat  here,  and  finally  closes  with  a  toast  to  the 
United  States, — 

"  Bounded  on  the  north  by  Canada,  on  the  south  by  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
on  the  east  by  the  Atlantic,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Pacific  Oceans." 

Up  gets  number  Two,  and  says:  "  Mr.  President,  I  am  not  satis- 
fied, sir,  as  I  contemplate  that  glorious  country  of  ours,  to  have 
our  limits  set  by  the  geographical  proportion  you  have  set  to  her 
to-day.     Let  me  give  you  the  United  States,  — 


LETTER  OF  NATHAN  ALLEN.  249 

"Bounded  on  the  north  by  the  North  Pole,  on  the  south  by  the  ant- 
arctic circle,  on  the  east  by  the  rising  and  on  the  west  by  the  setting  sun." 

Up  got  number  Three ;  I  never  knew  his  name  before,  but  dur- 
ing the  day  I  have  discovei'ed  that  it  must  have  been  a  son  of 
Barre.  Number  Three  says :  "  Mr.  President,  I  have  listened, 
sir,  with  feelings  of  the  profoundest  patriotism,  to-day  to  all  that 
has  been  said,  and  sir,  if  your  successor  had  been  content  to  have 
left  matters  where  you  left  them,  I  should  have  remained  silent; 
but,  sir,  when  he  disregarded  the  geographical  limits  of  the  United 
States  and  endeavored  to  give  you  her  real  proportions,  why  did 
he  stop  where  he  did?  Sir,  I  see  the  American  Eagle  standing 
on  Colonel  Robinson's  hill,  her  broad  tail  stretching  out  over 
Canada,  her  mighty  beak  reaching  out  over  the  states  of  Mexico 
and  Central  and  South  America,  and  let  me  give  you  the  United 
States,  — 

"  Bounded  on  the  north  by  the  aurora  borealis,  on  the  east  by  infinite 
chaos,  on  the  south  by  the  precession  of  the  equinoxes,  and  on  the  west 
by  the  day  of  judgment." 

Number  Four  did  not  get  up,  but  after  what  your  Orator  has 
said  of  Barre,  it  is  not  for  me  to  say  any  thing  for  Petersham.  I 
share  in  your  delight  to-day.  You  have  a  right  to  be  proud  of 
the  years  gone  by.     God  bless  you  in  those  to  come. 

The  Committee  are  very  glad  to  give  place  to  the  follow- 
ing letter,  and  regret  that  the  audience  were  deprived  of 
the  pleasure  of  listening  to  its  distinguished  author:  — 

LETTER   OF   NATHAN   ALLEN. 

To  the  Committee  on  the  Centennial  Celebration  of  Barre. 

Gentlemen,  —  Being  present  at  your  celebration,  by  invita- 
tion, with  the  expectation  of  responding  to  a  sentiment,  and  being 
prevented  from  so  doing  for  want  of  time,  I  send  you  some  items 
which  may,  perhaps,  be  deemed  worthy  of  publication  in  its  pro- 
ceedings. The  Historian  of  the  day,  in  giving  sketches  of  the  early 
settlers,  "  stated  that  about  1750   there  came  two  brothers   from 

32 


250  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

Sudbury,  Jonathan  and  Nehemiah  Allen,  settling  in  the  western 
part  of  the  town.  Jonathan  Allen  brought  from  Sudbury  on  his 
horse  forty  apple-trees,  from  which  in  the  course  of  years  many 
orchards  sprung."  This  Jonathan  Allen,  my  grandfather,  came 
here  soon  after  he  was  twenty-one,  cleared  a  small  patch  of  land 
and  budt  a  log-cabin,  and,  after  spending  two  years  in  preparing 
his  land  for  cultivation  and  making  other  preparations,  he  returned 
to  Sudbury  for  a  companion.  In  addition  to  the  apple-trees,  he 
took  back  with  him  a  young  wife,  and  they  lived  on  this  same 
place  between  sixty  and  seventy  years,  he  dying  at  the  age  of  92, 
and  his  wife  at  87.  They  had  six  children,  whose  average  age  at 
death  was  So.  Nehemiah  Allen  had  ten  children,  who  reached 
at  death  these  remarkable  ages :  96,  96,  95,  92,  92,  84,  82,  So,  So, 
and  7S,  making  an  average  age  of  Sj^ !  We  doubt  whether  in 
the  whole  history  of  New  England  there  can  be  found  another 
such  instance  of  so  large  a  family  all  living  to  so  great  an  age. 
They  were  remarkably  healthy,  scarcely  ever  had  any  kind  of  sick- 
ness, and  several  of  them  never  had  to  call  in  a  physician  during 
their  whole  lives.  Good  health,  long  life,  and  large  families  were 
characteristic  of  the  early  settlers  of  Barre.  These  are  marked 
evidences  that  they  originated  {ro\n  £"00 d  stocky  composed  of  the 
best  English  blood,  with  an  intermixture  of  Scotch  and  Irish. 

By  reference  to  the  census,  it  shows  the  town  increased  rapidly 
in  population,  which  came,  as  a  whole,  we  are  confident,  more 
by  additions  from  births  than  by  immigration.  In  1765,  it  had 
734  inhabitants;  in  1775,  it  had  1.329;  and  in  iSoo,  it  had  1,937. 
The  town  steadily  increased  every  decade  of  years  till  1850,  when 
it  reached  2,976  inhabitants,  and  then  began  to  decline  till,  in  1S70, 
the  census  reports  2,572,  —  a  loss  of  404  persons.  But  within  these 
twenty  years,  there  has  been  a  large  increase  in  dwelling-houses 
and  in  the  number  of  families.  The  town,  as  to  outward  appear- 
ances, has  at  the  present  time  the  look  of  prosperity  and  thrift, 
though  it  has  not  increased  in  population  and  business  as  other 
places  with  better  railroad  facilities.  Admitting  that  the  town 
has  suffered  in  its  growth  for  the  want  of  railroad  advantages, 
this  does  not  account  satisfactorily  for  such  a  loss  of  population. 
Perhaps  a  comparison  of  some  of  the  "vital  statistics"  of  the 
place  will  throw  light  on  this  point.     Ten  years  ago,  a  medical 


LETTER  OF  NATHAN  ALLEN.  25 1 

friend  of  the  writer,  while  spending  some  months  in  Barre,  made  a 
careful  inspection  of  the  records  of  the  place  as  to  family  histories, 
number  of  children,  &c.,  and  these  are  some  of  the  results  of  his 
inquiries.  He  found  that  the  first  settlers  had  on  an  average  to 
each  family  seven  to  eight  children  ;  the  second  generation  fell  a 
little  short  of  this  number;  and  the  decrease  steadily  continued 
through  each  generation  till  the  present  time,  when  scarce  any 
large  families  of  children  could  be  found.  As  one  result  of  his 
inquiries,  he  was  confident  that  the  average  number  of  children 
in  the  present  generation  to  each  married  couple  would  not 
exceed  three,  if  it  would  over  two. 

Let  us  now  see  what  the  census  itself  reports  on  this  point. 
In  1765  and  1775,  there  is  evidence  to  believe  that  more  than 
one  half  the  inhabitants  were  at  that  time  under  fifteen  years  of 
age,  —  that  is,  were  children;  but  in  1S70,  one  hundred  years 
later,  the  census  reports  in  the  town,  between  five  and  fifteen 
years  of  age,  394  persons,  and  the  Registration  Report,  for 
the  five  years  prior  to  1S70,  gives  238  births.  If  we  make  the 
usual  allowance  for  deaths  under  five  years  of  age  (two-fifths),  we 
have  in  iS70only  about  550  persons  in  Barre  under  15  years  of  age. 
Thus  there  are  actually  a  less  number  of  children  now  in  the 
town  than  there  was  one  hundred  years  ago,  when  the  place 
was  incorporated,  and  contained  only  half  as  many  inhabitants. 
Several  speakers  at  this  Centennial  made  pertinent  allusions  to 
the  next  Centennial  oi  Barre.  If  there  should  continue  the  same 
relative  decrease  of  children  with  the  three  or  four  coming  gener- 
ations as  there  has  been  in  the  past  one  hundred  years,  the  inquiry 
naturally  arises,  who  or  what  class  of  people  will  celebrate  that 
Centennial?  Will  they  consist  of  the  pure,  genuine  descendants 
of  the  present  stock,  or  be  composed  largely  of  a  foreign  element 
or  of  a  mixed  class? 

Let  us  take  a  look  from  another  point  of  view.  The  State 
Registration  Reports  of  Births  and  Deaths  puts  Barre  down  as 
follows  for  the  last  twenty  years:  Births  in  1S53,  71;  and  in 
1S72  (the  last  published),  39;  showing  a  steady  decrease  almost 
every  year  from  71  to  39.  But  not  so  of  the  deaths.  From  1S50 
to  i860,  the  births  slightly  exceed  the  deaths,  but  from  iS6o  to 
1S70,  the  deaths  exceed  the  births  by  some  forty.     Whenever  the 


252  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

death-rate  exceeds  the  birth-rate  of  a  people,  and  that  difference 
steadily  increases  for  a  series  of  years,  it  does  not  speak  well  for 
their  permanent  interests  and  prosperity.  For  a  healthy  and 
growing  state  of  any  community,  the  birth-rate  must  exceed  the 
death-rate  from  20  to  30  per  cent  yearly.  On  account  of  Barre 
being  situated  remote  from  railroads,  —  having  but  little  manu- 
facturing business,  and  its  interests  consisting  principally  in  farm- 
ing,—  it  has  received  only  a  small  addition  to  its  population  from 
a  foreign  source.  But  the  probabilities. are  that  this  element  is 
to  increase  here  more  and  more.  The  probability,  too,  is,  that 
the  young  people  of  Barre,  from  their  native  enterprise,  love  of 
adventure,  and  desire  for  improvement,  will  still  continue  to  emi- 
grate, as  they  have  in  past  years.  It  is  morally  certain  that  the 
future  will  witness  changes  in  the  population  of  the  place  ;  but 
just  what  these  changes  in  numbers  or  character  will  be,  it  re- 
quires a  greater  prophet  than  the  writer  to  foretell.  With  the 
following  sentiment  prepared  for  the  Centennial,  I  close  this  hasty 
communication  :  — 

"  Tlie  first  settlers  of  the  town  of  Barre,  —  and  tlieir  descendants,  com- 
posed of  a  noble  race,  — may  their  stock  ever  be  kept  good  not  only  in 
numbers,  but  long  perpetuated  within  the  ancient  domain  !  " 

Nathan   Allen. 
Lowell,  July  ist,  1874. 


APPENDIX. 


ALPHABETICAL  LIST  OF  PERSONS  WHO  HAVE  HELD 
TOWN  OFFICES,  OR  SERVED  ON  IMPORTANT  COM- 
MITTEES, DURING  THE  CENTURY,  AND  THE  RE- 
SPECTIVE   DATES. 


Abbreviations.  —  S.  M.,  Selectman.  Ass'r,  Assessor.  Const.,  Constable.  Mod., 
Moderator.  Sch.  Com.,  School  Committee.  Del.,  Delegate.  Rep.,  Representative. 
Com.,  Committee.     T.  C,  Town  Clerk.     T.  T.,  Town  Treasurer. 


Adams,  Austin  F.     S.  M.  1871  and  1873. 

Adams,  Daniel.     Const.  1780. 

Adams,   James.     Ass'r,    1807   and  1827.     Const.   18 12.     On   Sch.   Com, 

1806,  1807,  181 1,  1818,  1819,  1824,  1825,  and  1826.     Mod.  five  times. 
Adams,  Joel  M.     Const.  1872  and  1873. 
Adams,  Luke.     S.  M.  1833,  1834,  and  1835.     AssV,  1832. 
Ainsworth,  William  F.     S.  M.  1849,  ^^3°^  ^"d  185 1. 
Aldrich,  P.  Emory.     Del.  to  Constitutional  Convention,  1853. 
Allen,  George  E.     S.  M.  1866. 

Allen,  Charles  G.     S.  M.  1872.     Sch.  Com.  1866,  1867,  and  1868. 
Allen,  Horatio.     Sch.  Com.  1829. 
Allen,  John  A.     S.  M.  1854. 
Allen,  Capt.  John.     S.  M.  1799,   1805,   1806,   1807,   1808,  1809,  and  1810. 

Sch.  Com.  1806  and  1807.     Mod.  four  times. 
Allen,  Otis.     Ass'r,  1815,    1823,    1826,   1827,    1828,    1837,  1839,  and  1847. 

S.  M.  1840,  1841,  and   1842.     Rep.   1837  and   1838.     On  Sch.  Com. 

18 14.     Mod.  once. 
Allen,  Zebediah.     S.  M.  1785  and  1788.     On  Grievance  Com.  in  relation 

to    Shay's   Rebellion,  Jan.   i,    1787.     On    Com.  to  execute  resolves 

passed  at  Concord  Convention,  July  14,  1779.     On  Com.  to  hunt  up 

Stolen  Ammunition,  Nov.  27,  1786. 
Andrews,  H.  P.     On  Sch.  Com.  1853  and  1S54. 
Avery,  Samuel.     Mod.  in  one  town  meeting. 


254  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

Babbitt,  Pliney  H.     Ass'r,  1872  and  1873.     Const.  1857,  1858,  1862,  1864, 

1865,  1866,  1870,  1871,  1872,  and  1873.     Mod.  sixteen  times. 
Babbitt,  Samuel.     Del.  to  Money  Grievance  Convention  at  Worcester, 

second  Tuesday  in  April,  1782. 
Bacon,  Daniel.     Const.    1821,   1822,   1823,   1824,  1825,  and  1826.     Ass'r, 

1824,  1825,  1829,  1830,  1831,  1837,  1840,  1842,  1845,  1846,  and  1855. 

Mod.  five  times. 
Bacon,  David.     S.  M.  1829,  1842,  and  1847.     Mod.  once. 
Baker,  Ezra.     T.  T.  1819. 
Barnaby,  Joseph.     Ass'r,  1808. 
Barrett,  Deacon  Joseph.     S.   M.    181 1,   1812,   1813,   1814.     Ass'r,   1815. 

Sch.  Com.  1818,  1819,  1821,  and  1822. 
Bassett,  Isaac.     On  Sch.  Com.  181 1. 
Bassett,  Samuel  M.     S.  M.  1848. 
Bates,  Dr.  Anson.     T,  T.  1813,  1814,  1815,  1816,  and  1817.     Sch.  Com. 

1826. 
Bates,  Dr.  Joseph  N.     Sch.  Com.  1855. 

Bemis,  Charles.     S.  M.  1838,  1839,  1840,  1841,  and  1842.     Mod.  once. 
Bemis,  John.     S.  M.  1847,  1848,  1849,  ^853,  and  1854. 
Bemis,  Silas.     S.  M.  1820,  1821,  and  1822.     Sch.  Com.  1821. 
Bemis,  Silas,  Jr.     Ass'r,   1845,   1846,   1832,  1853,  1854,  1859,  i860,  1861, 

1862,  and  1863. 
Bent,  Joel.     S.  M.  1781,  1795,  1796,   1797,   1798,   1801,    1802,   and   1803. 

T.  T.  1784,  1785,  1786,  1787,  1788,  1789,  1790.  1791.  1793,  1794,  1799, 

and   1808.     T.   C.   1796,   1797,   1798,   1799,   1800,   1801,   1802,   1803. 

1809,  and  1810.     Rep.  1801,  1802,  1803,  and  1804.     Ass'r,  1796,  1797, 

and  1798.     Mod.  nineteen  times.     On  Com.  to  enlarge  Common  and 

draw  a  plan  of  new  Meeting-house,  May  8,  1785.     On  Com.  to  sell 

pews,  1787  and  1788.     On  Com.  on  Embargo  Petition. 
Bigelow,  Abijah.     On  Sch.  Com.  1812.     Mod.  six  times. 
Bigelow,  Charles.     On  Sch.  Com.  1837. 
Bigelow,  Samuel.     On  Com.  to  act  on  division  of  County,  May  2,  1796. 

S.   M.    1795,    1796,    1797,   1798,  1799,   1804,  and  1805.     Ass'r,  1799. 

T.  C.  1804,  1805,  and  181 3.     Mod.  sixteen  times. 
Black,  Archibald.     S.   M.   1830,   1831,  and   1832.     Rep.  1813  and  1831. 

On  Sch.  Com.  1812.     Del.  to  Althol  Convention  to  divide  County, 

Dec.  16,  1810.     Thanked  for  his  services  by  vote. 
Black,  John.     S.  M.  1776,  1787,  and  1788.     Ass'r,  1776  and  1787.     Rep. 

1787,  1788,  1789,  1790,  1791,  1792,  1793,  1794,  and  1796.    On  Com.  of 

Safety,  1776.     On  Com.  to  sell  pews  in  proposed  new  Meeting-house, 

1785.     Added  to  Com.  to  estimate  cost  of  material,  April  8,   1786. 

On  Grievance  Com.  in  relation  to  Shay's  Rebellion,  Jan.  i,  1787.     Del. 

to    Convention   for   acting   on    Constitution,   second  Wednesday  in 

January,  1788.  , 

Bond,  Rev.  Henry  F.     Sch.  Com.  1846,  1848,  and  1849. 


APPENDIX.  255 

Boyden,  Moses.     Const.  1779. 

Braman,  Rev.  W.  A.     On  Sch.  Com.  1855. 

Brigham,   Henry.     S.    M.   1787  and   1788.     On    Com.  to  lay  out  eight 

School  Districts,  Jan.  28,  1790. 
Brimblecom,  Charles.     S.  M.  1857  and  1858.     Sch.  Com.    1850.     Rep. 

1857  and  1858. 
Brimblecom,  Samuel.     Sch.  Com.  1841,  1842,  1843,  1844,  and  1845. 
Brimhall,  Samuel.     On  School  Districting  Committee,  Jan.  25,  1790. 
Broad,  Joseph.     On  Sch.  Com.  1818. 

Broad,  Willard,     S.  M.  1863.     T.  T.  1845,  1846,  1859,  and  i860. 
Brooks,  Dr.  Ephraim.     On  Com.  to  enlarge  Common  and  draw  plan  of 

new  Church,    May  9,    1785.     Sold  half  an  acre  of  land   to   enlarge 

Common,  June  21,  1785. 
Brooks,  H.  F.     T.  C.  1866,  1867,  1868,  1869,  1870,  1871,  1872,  and  1873. 
Brown,  Dr.  George.     Sch.  Com.  1854.     Mod.  twice. 
Bryant,  Walter  A.     Rep.  1845  and  1847.     Mod.  once. 
Buckminster,  John.     Const.  1787  and  1788. 
Buckminster,  William.     S.  M.  1775.     T.  C.  1775.     T.  T.  1777. 
Bullard,  Rev.  Amos.     Sch.  Com.  1844,  1845.  1846,  1847,  and  1849. 
Bullard,  Samuel.     One  of  the  protestants  against  paying  for  hunting  up 

stolen  ammunition,  because  Moses  Smith,  the  Moderator,  had  not 

sworn  allegiance  since  engaging  in  Shay's  Rebellion. 
Bullard,  Jonathan.    T.  T.  1783.    On  Com.  to  hunt  up  Stolen  Ammunition. 
Buttrick,  George  M,     Rep.  1854.     Mod.  four  times. 

Caldwell,  Elijah.  S.  M.  1799,  1800,  i8or,  1802,  1803,  1804,  1806,  1807, 
and  1808.  Ass'r,  1808.  Rep.  1805,  1806,  1807,  and  1808.  Mod.  six 
times.     Del.  to  Convention  at  Rutland,  Jan.  6,  1801. 

Caldwell,  George.  Petitioner  for  a  town  meeting  to  act  on  Lord  Howe's 
proposals  to  consult  with  his  Majesty's  well-disposed  subjects,  Dec. 
30,  1776. 

Caldwell,  John.  S.  M.  1775.  Rep.  1775.  Mod.  once.  Petitioner  in 
relation  to  Lord  Howe's  proposals.  Chosen  Const.,  March  5,  1781. 
Said  he  would  not  qualify  because  he  belonged  to  another  depart- 
ment. On  Com.  for  new  County,  with  Petersham  for  Shire,  May  10, 
1784. 

Caldwell,  Joseph.     T.  T.  1808. 

Caldwell,  Matthew.     Petitioner  on  Lord  Howe's  proposals. 

Caldwell,  Major  Seth.  Protested  against  paying  for  hunting  up  stolen 
ammunition.  S.  M.  1793  and  1794.  Const.  1785,  1803,  and  1804. 
Sch.  Com.  1800.     On  School  Districting  Committee,  Jan.  25,  1790. 

Caldwell,  Seth.  Ass'r,  1823,  1826,  1827,  1834,  1841,  and  1849.  Sch. 
Com.  1818,  1819,  and  1820.  Mod.  five  times.  On  R.  R.  Com.  to 
aid  Engineers,  Oct.  11,  1845. 

Caldwell,  William,  3d.  S.  M.  1786,  1787,  and  1788.  T.  C.  1788.  Peti- 
tioner on  Lord  Howe's  proposals,  Dec.  30,  1776. 


256  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

Carruth,  James  H.     S.  M.  1867  and  186S, 
Carruth,  William.     Const.  1775. 
Cate,  Rev.  George  W.     Sch.  Com.  1848  and  1849. 
Chandler,  Josiah.     Const.  1783. 

Cliilds,  Ebenezer.     On  Com.  to  prevent  Monopoly,  May  5,  1799. 
Childs,  Jonathan.     Const.  1791. 
Chipman,  Ebenezer.     S.  M.  1781. 
Clark,  William.     Const.  1786  and  1787. 
Cleveland,  Fred.  M.     Sch.  Com.  1871. 
Cobb,  Edmond.     Sch.  Com.  1810,  1818,  and  1821. 
Crawford,  William  T.     S.  M.  1845. 
Crocker,  Nathaniel.     Const.  1813. 

Cummings,  Daniel.  Const.  1861,  1862,  1864,  1865,  1866,  1867,  1868,  1869, 
1870,  1871,  and  1873. 

Dana,  Rev.  Josiah.     Sch.  Com.  1800.     First  Sch.  Com.  chosen. 

Davis,    James    F.     S.  M.   1861,   1862,   1864,  and  1865.     Ass'r,'  i860  and 

i873. 
Dean,  Stephen.     Sch.  Com.  1812  and  1823.  « 

Demond,  Israel.     S.  M.  181  r,  1812,  1813,  and  1814. 
Denham,  Rev.  George.     Sch.  Com.  1857  and  1858. 
Dennis,  Samuel  B.     S.  M.  1843. 

Eaton,  Benj.     Const.  1807. 

Eaton,  Deacon  Jonas.     S.  M.  1789,  1790,    1791,  and   1792.     Ass'r,    1793. 

Sch.  Com.  1800. 
Eaton,  Jonas,  Jr.     S.  M.   1806,  1807,  1808,  1809,  and  1810.     T.  C.  1806, 

1807,  and  1808.     Ass'r,  1806.     Mod.  of  one  town  meeting. 
Eaton,  M.  D.     S.  M.  1843,  1844,  1845,  1855,  1856,  1866,   1867,  and  1872. 

Ass'r,   1849,    1850,  and  18G6.     Const.   1840  and  1841.      Com.  to  aid 

Engineers,  Oct.  11,  1845. 
Ellsworth,  Henry.     S.  M.  1863. 
Ellsworth,  Samuel.     S.  M.  185 1,  1857,  1858,  and  1859. 

Farrar,  Major  Joseph.  S.  M.  1783,  1795,  1796,  1797,  1800,  and  180 1. 
Sch.  Com.  1806.  Ass'r,  1780,  1781,  1784,  1785,  17S6,  1787,  1790,  1791, 
1794,  1795,  1799,  1801,  and  1803.     Sch.  Dist.  Com.  Jan.  25,  1790. 

Faulkner,  Dwight.     On  Sch.  Com.  i860. 

Fay,  Rev.  Saml.  A.     On  Sch.  Com.  1838  and  1839. 

Felton,  Benjamin.     On  Sch.  Com.  1818,  1822,  and  1834. 

Felton,  Moses  H.     S.  M.  1828,  1829,  and  1S36.     Mod.  twice. 

Fessenden,  Peter.  S.  M.  1776  and  1777.  Const.  17S2.  Com.  of  Safety, 
1776. 

Fessenden,  Peter,  Jr.     On  Sch.  Com.. 1818. 

Fisk,  David.     S.  M.  1782. 


APPENDIX.  257 

Fisk,  Jason.     On  Sch.  Com.  1807.     T.  T.  1797,  1798,  1800,  and  1801. 
Fisk,  John.     S.  M.  1823,  1828.     Sch.  Com.  1820,  1821,  1822,  and  1823. 
Flagg,  Earl.     S.  M.  181 1,  1812.     Mod.  one  town  meeting. 
Freeman,  Haskell.     S.  M.  1804,  1805,  1809,  and  1810.     Mod.  three  times. 
Freeman,  Luther.     Const.  18 15. 

Gates,  Benjamin.     Mod.  of  one  town  meeting. 

Gates,   Makepeace.     S.  M.   1782.     Const.  1783.     Com.  to  prosecute  for 

Monopoly,  June  9,  1777. 
Gibson,  Amasa.     Rep.  1864, 

Goddard,  J.  Henry.     Rep.  1861  and  1862.     Mod.  nine  times. 
Gorham,  David.     S.  M.  1819.     Sch.  Com.  1814,  1818,  and  1820. 
Gorham,  James  A.     S.  M.  1868. 
Gorham,  J.  Martin.     Sch.  Com.  1861,  1862,  and  1867. 
Gorham,  Jason.     Ass'r,  1852,  1853,  and  1854.     Rep.  1853. 
Gorham,   John.      Sch,    Com.    1S06,    1807,    iSio,    i8n,   1812,   and    1819. 

S.  M.  1809,  1813,  1814,  and  1815.     Ass'r,  1805. 
Green,  Elijah.     Sch.  Com.  1814. 
Grosvenor,  Rev.  Moses  G.     Sch.  Com.  1833  and  1834. 

Hamilton,  Cheney.     Ass'r,  1863.     Const.  1867. 

Hamilton,  Samuel  S.  Ass'r,  1864,  1865,  and  1866,  S.  M.  1S67,  1869, 
1870,  1871,  1872,  and  1873. 

Hapgood,  Artemas.     S.  M.  1820,  1821,  1822,  and  1823. 

Hapgood,  Asa.  Rep.  1777.  Mod.  five  times.  Del.  to  frame  Constitu- 
tion, Cambridge,  Sept.  i,  1779. 

Harding,  Abijah.  S.  M.  1780,  1787,  1793,  1794,  1798,  1799,  1801,  and 
1805.  Ass'r,  1784,  1786,  1787,  1788,  1789,  1790,  1 791,  1792,  1793, 
1794,  1795,  1796,  1797,  1798,  1799,  1800,  1801,  1802,  1803,  1809,  1810, 
1813,  and  1814.  Rep.  1819.  On  Sch.  Dist.  Com.  Jan.  25,  1790. 
Sch.  Com.  1807,  1811,  and  1814. 

Harding,  Alpheus.     S.  M.  1854  and  1868. 

Harding,  Ohver.  S.  M.  1823,  1827,  1828,  1838,  and  1839,  Rep.  1821. 
Sch.  Com.  1823. 

Harwood,  Caleb.     S.  M.  1862. 

Harwood,  Daniel  G.     S.  M.  1872  and  1873. 

Harwood,  George.     S.  M.  1850  and  i860. 

Harwood,  Hiram  S.     Ass'r,  1856,  1857,  and  1858. 

Harwood,  Peter.     S.  M.  181 1  and  1812. 

Harwood,  Peter,  2d.     S.  M.  1848. 

Harwood,  Simeon.     S.  M.  1833. 

Harwood,  Wilcut.  S.  M.  1828,  1829,  1834,  1835,  1840,  1843,  1844,  and 
1851.     Mod.  once. 

Harwood,  Wilcut,  Jr.     S.  M.  1865,  1869,  1870,  and  1871. 

Haskell,  Ebenezer.     Const.  1791,  1792,  1793,  and  1794. 

33 


258  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

Hastings,  Emory.     Const.  1838,  1839,  1855,  ^"d  1856. 

Hastings,  Timothy.     S.  M.  1780.     Mod.  once.     Sch.  Dist.  Com.  Jan.  25, 

1790. 
Hawes,  Austin.     S.  M.  1864  and  1865. 
Hawes,    Dan.      S.   M.   1775,   1776,    1777,   1778,  1779,  1785.     T.  T.  1777, 

1778,    T779,    1780,    1781,    1782.     On   Sch.  Dist.  Com.  Jan.  25,  1790. 

Mod.  three  times.     Const.  1783.     On  Com.  to  enlarge  Common,  June 

21,  1785.     On  Com.  to  hunt  up  Stolen  Ammunition,  Nov.  27,  1786. 

On   Com.  to  remonstrate  to  General  Court  against  a  Loan  by  Bills 

of  Credit,  Dec.  10,  1777. 
Hawes,  Estes.  Ass'r,  1865. 
Hawes,  Jason.     S.  M.  1798  and  1805.    Ass'r,  1812,  1813,  and  1814.    Sch. 

Com.  1819. 
Hawes,  Jason  W.     S.  M.  1854. 
Hawes,  Peletiah  M.     S.  M.  1836. 
Heald,  Stephen.     S.  M.  1861  and  1862. 

Hemenway,  C.  C.     Sch.  Com.  i860,  1861,  1863,  1864,  1865,  and  1868. 
Henry,  Adam.     On  Com.  to  prosecute  for  Monopoly,  June  9,  1777. 
Henry,  John.     On  Com.  to  execute  Concord  Resolves  to  regulate  Internal 

Trade,  July  14,  1779. 
Henry,  Miletus.     Sch.  Com.  i860.     S.  M.  1S52  and  1853. 
Henry,  Samuel.     Ass'r,  1809,  1810,  iSii,  and  1812.     T.  C.  1814.     Const. 

1 80 1  and  1802. 
Henry,  William.     S.  M.   1778,    1779,   1780,  and  1785.     T.  C.  1778,  1779, 

1780,  and   1785.     Ass'r,   1776,   1778,   1779,  and   1783.     Const.   1784. 

Mod.  once.      Del.  to  Convention  at  Liecester  for  Relief  of  Public 

Grievances,  June  26,  1786. 
Hinds,  Corlis.     Const.  1778.     Com.  of  Safety,  March  20,  1780.     Com.  on 

Concord  Resolves,  July  14,  1779.    Com.  to  prevent  Monopolies,  May 

5,  1789. 
Hinds,  Cornelius.     S.  M.  1784. 
Hinds,  Ephraim.     On  Sch.  Com.  1815  and  1816. 
Hodges,  Rev.  Charles  E.     Sch.  Com.  1852  and  1853. 
Holbrook,  Henry.     Ass'r,  1839,  1841,  1850,  and  1855.     Mod.  once. 
Holden,  Maj.  James.     Sch.  Com.  1818. 
Holden,  Lieut.  Josiah.     Const.  1775. 
Holden,  Deacon  Moses.     Ass'r,  1782,  1809,  1810,  and  181 1.    Const.  1789, 

1808,  1809,  1810,  181 1,  1812,  1814,  and  1S18. 
Holden,  Rufus.     S.  M.  1824,  1825,  and  1826. 

Holden,  Lieut.  Thomas.     Const.  1776.     Com.  on  Concord  Resolves,  July 
14,  1779.     Petitioner  for  action  on  Lord  Howe's  proposals,  Dec.  30, 
1776. 
Holland,  Addison  H.     Ass'r,   1862.     S.  M.  1862,  1864,  and  1865.     Rep. 

1866. 
Holland,  Hooper.     S.  M.  1837. 


APPENDIX.  259 

Holland,  James.     S.  M.   1802,   1803,  and  1804.     Ass'r,  1803,  1804,  1806, 

1807,  1808,  1816,  1817,  1818,  1819,  1820,  and  1821.     Sell.  Com.  1810, 

1811,  1812,  1814,  and  1818. 
Holland,  James,  2d.     Ass'r,  1831,  1840,  1843,  1844,  1847,  1848,  1855,  1856, 

1858,  and  1859.     S.  M.  1836,  1850,  and  1851.     Rep.  in  1842  and  1843. 

Mod.  of  five  town  meetings. 
Holland,  Nath'l.  E.     Sch.  Com.  1864,  1865,  and  1866. 
Holland,  Capt.   Nath.     Ass.    1822,    1824,    1825,    1826,   1828,   1829,   1830, 

1831,  1832,  1833,  T834,  1835,  1836,  1842,  1851,  1857,  1861,  1863,  1864, 

and  1865.     S.  M.  1837,  1838,  1839,  1840,  1845,  and  1846.     Sch.  Com. 

1818,  1819,  1820,  1821,  1822,  1823,  and  1839.     Rep-  1838  ^iid  1839. 
Holmes,  Rev.  Lewis.     Sch.  Com.  185 1,  1852,  and  1853. 
Houghton,  Henry  S.     Const.  1872  and  1873. 
Houghton,  Luke.     T.  T.   1833,   1834,   1835,  1836,  1837,  1839,  1843,  1844, 

and  185 1.     Rep.  1850. 
Houghton,    Nathaniel.     S.    M.    1819   and    1820.     T.  C.  1816  and  1817. 

Rep.    1832  and    1833.     Mod.  seven  times.     T.  T.  1820,  1821,  1822, 

1823,  1824,  1825,  and  1826.  Sch.  Com.  1815,  1816,  1817,  1818,  1819, 
1820,  1824,  1825,  1826,  and  1831.  Del.  to  Boston  to  revise  Consti- 
tution, 1820. 

Howe,  David.     Const.  1810  and  181 1. 

Howe,  Edmond.     S.  M.  1793,   1794,  and  1797.     Rep.   1797,   1798,  1799, 

and  1800.     Mod.   nineteen  times.     On  Com.  to  divide  County,  May  2, 

1796.     Del.  to  Templeton,  May  6,  1799. 
Howe,  Nahum.     Sch.  Com.  1835. 
Howland,  Timothy.     Sch.  Com.  1818,  1820,  and  1821. 

James,  Eleazer.  T.  T.  1802,  1803,  1804,  1805,  1806,  1807,  1809,  1810, 
and  i8r2.     On  Sch.  Com.   1808,   1810,   181 1,  1816,  1817,  1818,  1822, 

1824,  and  1825.  On  Com.  to  petition  President  of  U.  S.  about 
Embargo  previous  to  War  of  18 12.     Mod.  of  six  town  meetings. 

Jenkins,  Abraham.     On  Sch.  Com.  1812. 

Jenkins,  Benjamin.  Ass'r,  1778.  Mod.  twice.  On  Com,  to  execute  Con- 
cord Resolves  regulating  Internal  Trade. 

Jenkins,  Capt.  James  W.  Sch.  Com.  1816,  1819,  1820,  and  1823.  Mod. 
twice. 

Jenkins,  J.  W.,  Jr.     Rep.  1846  and  1869.     S.  M.  1872.     Mod.  twice. 

Jenkins,  Southworth.  Del.  to  Convention  at  Petersham  about  new 
County,  Jan.  4,  1785.  Com.  to  estimate  cost  of  materials  for  new 
Meeting-house,  Dec.  5,  1785.  One  of  protesters  against  paying  for 
hunting  up  stolen  ammunition. 

Jennison,  Nathaniel.  On  Com.  on  Shay's  Rebellion,  Jan.  i,  1787.  Com. 
to  prosecute  for  Monopoly,  June  9,  1797.  Mod.  twice.  Del.  to  Con- 
vention at  Worcester  on  Impost  Grievance,  March  17,  1784. 

Johnson,  Hiram  F.     Const,  i860. 


26o  BARRE   CENTENNIAL. 

Jones,  Ezra.     T.  T.  1775.     Com.  1779.     Mod.  once. 

Jones,  Ezra,  2d.     Const.  1830,  1831,  and  1832. 

Jones,  Nath'l.      Del.   to  Convention  at  Templeton  on  dividing  County, 

Nov.  6,  1800.     Del.  to  Boston  to  revise    Constitution,  1820.     S.  M. 

1802,  1803,  1813,  1814,  1815,  1816,  1817,  1818,  1819,  1820,  1821,  1822, 

1823,  1824,  1830,  and  1831.     Ass'r,  1804,  1805,  1812,  1820,  and  1821. 

Rep.  1809,  1810,  1812,  1813,  1814,  1815,  1816,  and  1829. 

Kelly,  Joel.     Sch.  Com.  1812. 

Kilburn,  David.     Sch.  Com.  1846. 

Kimball,  Rev.  M.  G.     Sch.  Com.  1857. 

King,  Charles.     Rep.  1849. 

King,  John.     S.  M.  1833,  1834,  1835,  1839,  1840,  and  1841. 

Lawrence,  Abiather.     T.  T.  1863. 

Lee,  Benj.  S.  M.  1778.  Rep.  1784  and  1785.  Mod.  forty-four  times. 
On  Com.  to  sell  pews  in  new  Meeting-house,  1785.  Com.  to  enlarge 
Common  and  draw  plan,  May  9,  1785.  Com.  to  estimate  cost  of 
materials  for  above,  Dec.  5,  1785.  Com.  to  remonstrate  against  Loan 
by  Bills  of  Credit,  Dec.  10,  1777.  Com.  on  Shay's  Rebellion  and 
Grievance,  Jan.  i,  1787.  Del.  to  Convention  to  Petersham  to  peti- 
tion for  new  County,  Jan.  4,  1785.  Protests  against  paying  for  hunt- 
ing up  stolen  ammunition,  July  4,  1787. 

Lee,  David.  Sch.  Com.  1S25,  1829,  1830,  1831,  1832,  1833,  1836,  1837, 
1840,  1858,  and  1859.  Mod.  thirty-three  times.  On  Com.  to  aid 
Engineers  in  surveying  Railroad,  Oct.  11,  1845. 

Lee,  Samuel.  S.  M.  1806,  1807,  1808,  1809,  1810,  181 1,  and  1812.  Ass'r, 
iSoo,  1802,  1804,  1805,  1806,  1807,  1813,  1814,  1815,  1816,  1817,  1818, 
1819,  1820.  and  1821.  Rep.  1812,  1816,  1834,  1835,  and  1836.  Mod. 
forty-five  times.  Sch.  Com.  1808,  1810,  181 1,  1814,  1815,  1816,  1817, 
1818,  1824,  1825,  and  1835.  On  Com.  to  petition  President  on 
Embargo  previous  to  War  of  18 12. 

Lee,  Seth.  T.  C.  181 1.  On  Sch.  Com.  1807,  1824,  1825,  and  1826. 
Mod.  twice. 

Loring,  Abel.     S.  M.  1784.     Ass'r,  1782.     Mod.  once. 

Loring,  Chauncey.     Sch.  Com.  1872  and  1873. 

Loring,  Nathaniel.  S.  M.  1829,  1830,  1831,  and  1832.  Rep.  1838  and 
1839. 

Loring,  Nelson.     S.  M.  1866,  1867,  1869,  1870,  1871,  and  1873. 

Mandell,  Mason.     Sch.  Com.  1821,  1822,  and  1823. 

Mandell,  Moses.     Sch.  Com.  1838.     Mod.  twenty-two  times. 

Mandell,  Noah.     Petitioner  as  to  Lord  Howe's  proposals,  Dec.  30,  1776. 

Mandell,  Warren.     S.  M.  1862. 

Manter,  Robert.     Ass'r,  1777. 


APPENDIX.  261 

Mason,  Deacon  John,  S.  M.  1775,  1776,  1777,  and  1779.  Rep.  1776, 
1777)  1780,  and  1781.  Ass'r,  1779.  Mod.  fourteen  times.  Del.  to 
Convention  at  Cambridge,  Sept.,  1779. 

Mason,  Thaddeus.     S.  M.  1800. 

Mead,  Tilly.     Const.  1795,  1796,  1797,  1798,  1799,  and  1800. 

Meriam,  J.  Addison.     Sch.  Com.  i860. 

Metcalf,  John.  S.  M.  1789,  1790,  1791,  1792,  1795,  and  1796.  Mod. 
once.     On  Sch.  Dist.  Com.  Jan.  25,  1790. 

Metcalf,  Simeon.  S.  M.  1800,  1815,  1816,  1817,  1818,  1819,  1820,  1821, 
and  1822.     Sch.  Com.  1810,  1818,  1819,  1821,  and  1822. 

Miller,  James.     Rep.  1856. 

Mills,  Richard.  S.  M.  1781.  Ass'r,  1778,  1779,  1780,  1781,  1783,  1784, 
and  1785.  On  Com.  to  prevent  Monopoly,  May  5,  1799.  Com.  of 
Safety,  March  20,  1780.  Com.  to  execute  Concord  Resolves,  July  14, 
1779.     Com.  to  hunt  up  Stolen  Ammunition,  Nov.  27,  1786. 

Miner,  Henry  S.     Ass'r,  1857,  1861,  1862,  and  1864. 

Moore,  Erasmus  D.     Sch.  Com.  1841  and  1842. 

Morse,  James.  S.  M.  1783  and  1785.  Const.  1781.  Protester  against 
paying  for  hunting  up  stolen  ammunition,  July  6,  1787. 

Newcomb,  James.     S.  M.  1834  and  1835,     Rep.  1835. 

Nichols,  Rev.  C.  M.     Sch.  Com.  1852,  1854,  and  1856. 

Nicols,  Robert.     S.  M.  1782. 

Nurss,   Francis.     S.  M.   1790  and  1791.     On  Com.  to  enlarge   Common 

and  draw  plan  of  new  Meeting-house,  May  9,   1785.     Sold  forty-five 

rods  of  land  to  town  to  enlarge  Common,  June  21,  1785.     Com.  to 

hunt  up  Stolen  Ammunition. 
Nurss,  Timothy.     S.  M.  1798.     Mod.  of  two  town  meetings.     On   Com. 

to  prosecute  for  Monopoly,  June  9,  1777.     Said  he  would  not  take 

his  oath,  nor  pay  a  fine. 
Nye,  Benjamin.     S.  M.  1779,  1780,  and  1782.     Mod.  once. 
Nye,  Elisha.     S.  M.  1846. 
Nye,  John  R.     S.  M.   1815,   1816,   1817,  and  1818.     On  Sch.  Com.  i8ri 

and  1818. 
Nye,  Silas.     Const.  1780.     On  Com.  to   hunt  up   Stolen   Ammunition, 

Nov.  27,  1786. 

Oliver,  David.     S.  M.  1784. 
Osgood,  Lemuel.     Const.  1785. 

Parker,  Andrew.  S.  M.  1783,  1787.  Ass'r,  1776  and  1777.  T.  C.  1787. 
Mod.  fifteen  times.  Com.  of  Safety,  1776.  Com.  to  remonstrate 
against  Loan  by  Bills  of  Credit,  Dec.  10,  1777.  Del.  to  Convention  to 
frame  Constitution  at  Cambridge,  Sept.  i,  1777.  Com.  to  enlarge 
Common  and  draw  plan  of  new  Meeting-house,  May  9,  1785.     On 


262  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

Shay's  Rebellion  Grievance  Com.  Jan.  6,  1787.     On  Sch.  Dist.  Com. 

Jan.  25,  1790. 
Patrick,  John.    S.  M.  1780.  Com.  to  enlarge  Common,  &c..  May  9,  1785. 

Com.  to  sell  pews  in  new  Meeting-house,    1785.     Com.  to  estimate 

cost  of  materials,  Dec.  5,  1785.     Protester  against  paying  for  hunting 

up  stolen  ammunition,  July  4,  1787. 
Patridge,  Thaddeus.     Const.  1779.     Mod.  of  three  town  meetings. 
Perry,  Luther.     Del.  to  Convention  at  Rutland,  Jan.  6,  1801. 
Perry,  Phineas.     Const.  1783. 
Perry,   Seth.     Const.    1782.     Protester   against   paying   for  hunting   up 

stolen  ammunition,  July  4,  1787.     On  Sch.  Dist.  Com.  Jan.  15,  1790. 
Pierce,  Ezekiel  L.     S.  M.  1857,  1858,  1859,  i860,  and  1863.     Ass'r,  1843 

and  1844. 
Pierce,  John  R.     S.  M.  1852  and  1853. 

Pond,  Lemuel.     On  Com.  to  execute  Concord  Resolves,  July  14,  1779. 
Pratt,  Elnathan.     Sch.  Com.  1822. 

Rawson,  Silas.     S.  M.  1859  and  1861.     Ass'r,  i860. 

Reed,  Joseph.     Com.  of  Safety,  1776. 

Reynolds,  Justin.     S.  M.  1856.     Ass'r,  1858. 

Rice,    Charles.     S.    M.    1830,    1831,  and  1832.     Rep.  1837.     Sch.  Com. 

1820. 
Rice,  Daniel  H.     S.  M.  1846,  1849,  and  1855. 
Rice,  David.     S.  M.  1848,  1849,  1850,  1852,  1853,  1854,  1857,  1858,  1859, 

i860,    1861,    1863,    and   1868.     Ass'r,  1832,   1833,   1834,   1835,   1836, 

1838,   1839,   1840,   1841,   1842,   1845,  3-"d  1846.     Rep.  1840  and  1841. 

Sch.  Com.  1829,  1830,  1831,   1833,  and  1836.     Sch.  Dist.  Com.  1865. 

Mod.  ten  times. 
Rice,  Eben,  Esq.     Sch.  Com.  1804.     Ass'r,  1782.     Com.  to  enlarge  Com- 
mon, June  21,  1785.     One  of  protesters  against  paying  for  hunting 

up  stolen  ammunition,  July  4,  1787.     Mod.  twice. 
Rice,   Francis.     S.  M.    1824,   1825,    1826,  1827,   1828,   1833,    1834,   1835, 

1837,  1843,  and   1844.     Ass'r,    1847.     T.   T.    1830,    1831,   and  1832. 

Rep.  1835  ^"d  1836.     Sch.  Com.  1821.     Mod.  eight  times. 
Rice,   Henry  E.     S.  M.  1864,   1865,   1869,  1870,  1871,  and  1873.     Ass'r, 

1867,  1868,  1869,  1870,  1871,  and  1873.     Mod.  twice. 
Rice,  James.     S.  M.  1795,  1796,  and  1797.     On  Sch.  Com.  1807. 
Rice,  John  W.     S.  M.  i860.     T.  T.  1861  and  1S62.     Rep.  1873. 
Rice,  Jotham.     S.  M.  1815,  1817,  1819,  1821,  1822,  1823,  and  1827.     Sch. 

Com.  1823. 
Rice,  Lemuel.     Sch.  Com.  1813. 
Rice,  Lemuel  P.     S.  M.  1858. 
Rice,  Paul.     S.  M.  1829. 
Rice,  Ralph.     S.  M.  1778. 
Rice,  Thomas.     S.  M.   1786,   1798,  and   1799.     Const.  1777.     Sch.  Com. 


APPENDIX.  263 

1818.     Protested  against  paying  for  hunting  up  stolen  ammunition, 

July  4,  1787. 
Richardson,  Paul.     Const.  1777. 
Ripley,  Noah.     Const.  1778  and  1785. 
Robinson,  Benjamin.     S.  M.  1785.     Sch.  Com.  1821. 
Robinson,  Dennison  A.     S.  M.  1847,    Ass'r,  1836,  1837,  1843,  1844,  1848, 

1849,   1850,  and    185 1.     On  Sch.  Com.   1836,  1840,  and  1843.     Mod. 

twice. 
Robinson,  William.     Const.  1816  and  1817. 
Robinson,  William,  Jr.     S.  M,  1847. 

Rogers,  Lyman  F.     Ass'r,  1859,  1867,  1868,  1869,  1870,  and  1871. 
Root,  Thomas   P.     Sch.  Com.   i860,   1862,    1863,  1864,  1868,  1869,  1870, 

1871,  1872,  and  1873.     Sch.  Dist.  Com.  1865.     Mod.  four  times. 
Ruggles,  Crighton.     S.  M.  1843. 
Ruggles,  Gardner.     Ass'r,   1822.     S.   M.    1824.     Rep.   1827,   1828,    1831, 

1832,  1833,  and  1834.     Sch.  Com.  1821,  1822,  1825,  1826,  and  1828. 
Mod.  once. 

Ruggles,  John.     S.  M.   1786,   1793,  and  1794.     Sch.  Dist.  Com.  Jan.  25, 

1790. 
Ruggles,  Moses.     Const.  1859,  i860,  1861,  and  1863. 
Russell,  Ephraim.     Ass'r,  181 1.     T.  C.  1812. 
Russell,  William.     Const.  1781,   1788,  and  1789.     Com.  to  prosecute  for 

Monopoly,  June  9,  1777.     Com.  of  Safety,  March  20,  1780.     Com.  to 

hunt  up  Stolen  Ammunition,  Nov.  27,  1786. 
Russell,  William  L.     Sch.  Com.  1834,  1836,  1840,  1841,  1842,  1845,  1853, 

and  1859.     Com.  to  aid  Engineers  in  surveying  Railroad,  Oct.    11, 

1845.     Sch.  Dist.  Com.  1865.     Mod.  five  times. 

Sanborn,  Dr.  J.  E.     Sch.  Com.  1857. 

Sanford,  Calvin.     S.  M.  1852  and  1853. 

Shattuck,  Elam  B.     T.  T.  1864  and  1865.     Const.  1864. 

Shattuck,  Henry  J.     T.  C.  1855.     Ass'r,  1872.     Const.  1S59,  i860,  1861, 

1863,  1866,  1867,  1868,  1869,  1870,  1871,  1872,  and  1873.      ' 
Sherman,  Jason.     Sch.  Com.  1806  and  1812. 
Sherman,  Otis.     S.  M.  1825. 
Sibley,  Charles,     S.  M.  1818,   1830,   1831,   1832,  and  1836.     Ass'r,  1816, 

1817,  1818,  1819,  1822,  1823,  1824,  1825,  1828,  1829,  and   1835.     Sch. 

Com.   1823.     Rep.   1826,    1829,   and    1830.     Mod.  twenty-six  times. 

Rep.  1826,  1829,  and  1830. 
Sibley,  Henry  B.     Ass'r,  1863.     Const.  1853  and  1868. 
Sibley,  Job.     S.  M.  1802,  1803,  and  1804. 
Sibley,   Lyman.     S.  M.   1817  and  1847.     T.  T.  1818.     T.  C.  1819,    1820, 

1821,   1822,   1823,   1824,  1825,   1827,   1828,    1829,    1830,    1831,    1832, 

1833,  1834,   1835,   1836,   1837,   1838,   1839,    1840,    1841,    1842,    1843, 
1844,   1845,   1846,   1847,   1848,   1849,   1850,    1851,    1852,    1853,    1854, 


264  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

1856,  1857,  1858,  1859,  i860,  1861,  1862,  1863,  1864,  and  1865.     Vote 
of  thanks  for  forty-six  years  of  service  passed  March,  1866. 

Sibley,  Samuel.     S.  M.  1825  and  1826. 

Sibley,  Sardius.     Ass'r,  1833. 

Smith,  Eber.     Sch.  Com.  1810,  1814,  1818,  and  1819. 

Smith,  Franklin.     AssV,    1852  and  1853.     S.  M.  1861  and  1862.     Const. 

1857,  1858,  1859,  i860,  and  1861. 
Smith,  Isaac.  S.  M.  1869  and  1870. 
Smith,  J.  Edwin.     Sch.  Com.  i860. 

Smith,  John.     Const.  1786.     Sch.  Com.  1818. 

Smith,  John,   2d.     S.   M.    1844,    1845,    1846,   and    1847.     Rep.    1851   and 

1852. 
Smith,  Jonas.     S.  M.  1838.     Mod.  once. 
Smith,  Joseph.     S.  M.  1793  and  1794.     One  of  protesters  against  paying 

for  hunting  up  stolen  ammunition,  July  4,  1787. 
Smith,  Josiah.     S.  M.  1841.     Ass'r,  1838.     Const.  1836  and  1837. 
Smith,  Larkin.     Sch.  Com.  1833  and  1837. 
Smith,  Moses.     S.  M.    1779,    1781,   1783,    1788,   1789,    1790,   1791,    1792, 

1800,   and   1801.     Ass'r,    1777,    1780,   1781,    1783,    1785,    1786,   1788, 

1789,   1790,  1791,   1792,   1793,   1794,   179s,    1796,    1797,    1798,    1800, 

and   i8or.     T.  C.   1789,    1790,  and    1791.     T.  T.    1792.     Sch.   Com. 

181 1  and  1812.     Com.  to  hunt  up  Stolen  Ammunition,  Nov.  27,  1786. 

Sch.  Dist.  Com.  Jan.  25,  1790.     Com.  to  secure  division  of  County, 

May  2,  1796.     Mod.  seven  times. 
Smith,  Moses  F.     On  Sch.  Com.  1822. 
Smith,  Nathaniel,  S.  M.  1792.     T.  C.  1795  and  1796. 
Smith,  Rufus.     Sch.  Com.  181 1. 
Smith,  Samuel.     S.  M.  1784. 
Smith,  Samuel,  2d.     S.  M.  1792. 
Smith,  Samuel,  3d.     T.  T.   1866,  1867,  1868,  1869,  1870,  1871,  1872,  and 

1873- 
Smith,  Stephen.     Const.  1805  and  1806. 
Smith,  Warner.     S.  M.  1838,  1839,  1841,   1842,   1844,   1845,    1846,    1855, 

1856,  1859,  and  i860.     Ass'r,  1848.     Rep.  1855.     Mod.  once. 
Smith,  William.     S.   M.   1789,    1790,  and   1791.     Ass'r,  1788   and    1789. 

Sch.  Dist.  Com.  Jan.  25,  1790. 
Snow,  J.  Foster.     S.  M.  1868  and  1872. 
Sparhawk,   Nathaniel.     S.  M.   1775,   1776,   1777,  and   1781.     T.  C.  1776 

and  1781.     Com.  of  Safety,  1776.     Mod.  twice. 
Spooner,  Grover.     T.  T.   1838,   1840,  1841,  1842,  1847,  1848,  1849,  1850, 

1852,  1853,  and  1854. 
Spooner,  Orin.     S.  M.  1855.     On  Sch.  Com.  i860. 
Stearns,  John.     T.  C.  1794  and  1795. 
Stevens,  Abraham.     S.  M.  1813  and  1814. 
Stevens,  James  T.     S.  M.  1866. 


APPENDIX.  265 

Stevens,  Nathan.     Ass'r,  1S30. 

Stevenson,  Rev.  B.  V.     Sch.  Com.  1846,  1847,  1S48,  and  1849. 

Stone,  Nathaniel  M.     Const.  1868,  1869,  1871,  1872,  and  1873. 

Stone,  WilHam.     S.  M.  1856. 

Storrs,  Rev.  John.     Sch.  Com.  1829. 

Tenney,  Gideon.     Sch.  Com.  1806  and  1807. 

Thompson,  Rev.  James,  D.D.  Sch.  Com.  1804,  1805,  1806,  1807,  1808, 
1809,  1810,  i8ri,  1812,  1813,  1814,  1815,  1816,  1817,  1818,  1819,  1820, 
1821,  1822,  1823,  1825,  1826,  1828,  1829,  1830,  1831,  1832,  1833,  1S35, 
1838,  and  1839. 

Tobey,  Deacon  Isaac.  S.  M.  1782  and  1786.  T.  C.  1782,  1783,  and 
1786.  Rep.  1786.  Mod.  five  times.  On  Com.  to  enlarge  Common, 
May  9,  1785.  On  Com.  to  estimate  cost  of  materials  fbr  Meeting- 
house, Dec.  5,  1785.  On  Com.  to  hunt  up  Stolen  Ammunition,  Nov. 
27,  1786.  On  Shay's  Rebellion  Grievance  Com.  Jan.  r,  1787.  Pro- 
tester against  paying  for  hunting  up  stolen  ammunition,  July  4, 
1787. 

Tolman,  Fisher.     Sch.  Com.  1812. 

Tucker,  Isaac.     S.  M.  1833.     Sch.  Com.  1823. 

Tyler,  Rev.  Payson.     Sch.  Com.  1856. 

Wadsworth,  Charles.     Sch.  Com.  1832  and  1834. 

Wadsworth,    David.     S.    M.    t8o6,    1807,    1808,    and    1818.     Rep.    181 1. 

Mod.  four  times.     Sch.  Com.  1810,  1814,  1820,  and  1823. 
Wadsworth,  David,  2d.     Const.  1833,  1834,  1835,  1842,   1843,  1844,   1845, 

1846,  1847,  1848,  1849,  1850,  185 1,  1852,  1853,  and  1854.     Mod.  four 

times. 
Wadsworth,  David,  3d.     Const.  1856  and  1859. 
Wadsworth,  Hiram.     Mod.  seven  times. 
Wadsworth,  John.     Sch.  Com.  1819. 
Wadsworth,  Paul.     S.  M.  1837. 

Walker,  Dr.  Asa.     Sch.  Com.  1805.     Rep.  1806  and  1807.     Mod.  once. 
Walker,  John.     Sch.  Com.  1807. 
Ward,  Calvin.     Sch.  Com.  1820. 
Ware,  Azariah.     Sch.  Com.  1820. 
Washburn,  Benj.  W.     Sch.  Com.  i860. 
Weeks,  Cornelius.     Const.  1873. 
Wheelock,  Austin  G.     Sch.   Com.   1861,    1862,    1863,    1865,    1866,    1867, 

1869,  1870,  1871,  and  1872. 
Whipple,  Jacob.     S.  M.  1824,  1825,  1826,  and  1827.     Mod.  twice. 
Whitcomb,  Dr.  C.  W.     Sch.  Com.  1859,  1868,  1869,  and  1S70. 
Whiting,  Elihu.     Sch.  Com.  1818  and  1820. 

34 


266  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

Whiting,  Josiah.     On  Com.  to  enlarge  Common,  June  21,  1785.     On  Com. 

to  sell  pews  in  new  Meeting-house,  1785.     Protester  against  paying 

for  hunting  up  stolen  ammunition,  July  4,  1787. 
Whiting,  William  R.     S.  M.  1849.     Ass'r,  185 1. 
Wilbur^  Dr.  H.  B.     Sch.  Com.  185 1. 
Williams,  Dr.  John.     T.  C.   1784,    1792,  and  1793.     On  Com.  to  secure 

new  County  (Petersham  Shire),  May  10,  1784.     On  Com.  on  Shay's 

Rebellion  Grievance,  Jan.  i,  1787. 
Williams,  Elbridge.     Ass'r,  1872. 
Wilson,  Martin.     S.  M.  1851,  1855,  and  1856. 
Winslow,  Zenas.     On  Sch.  Com.  1822. 
Wood,  Joshua  B.     Const.  1863. 
Woodbury,  Hubbard.     Sch.  Com.  1823. 
Woods,  Edwin.     Mod.  sixteen  times. 
Woods,  Harding.     Rep.  1871. 
Woods,  Harding  P.     S.  M.  1826  and  1827.     Rep.  1834.     Sch.  Com.  1818. 

Mod.  twice. 
Woods,  James.     S.  M.  1852  and  1853. 
Woods,  John  F.     T.  T.   1855,   1856,    1857,  and   1858.     Const.   1857  and 

1858. 
Woods,  Loring  F.     Ass'r,   1854,   1856,   1867,  1868,  1869,  1870,  and  1871, 

On  Sch.  Com.  1855. 


ANNUAL    APPROPRIATIONS    FOR   VARIOUS    PURPOSES 
AND   VALUATION. 

Preaching. 

I774I     > 
1775 
1776 
1777 

1778  I 

1779  I 
1780 
17S1 

1782 

17S3J 

17S4I 

1786  I 
17S7  I 
1788 


17S9! 
1790  f 
179I 
1792 
1793 


1 794  J 


V^ 


Schools. 

Roads  and 
Bridges. 

Poor  and  Town 
Charges. 

Valuation 

None. 

£100 

£40 

£ico 

5« 

100 

30 

100 

200 

120 

750 

3,000 

459 

750 

3,000 

100 

3,000 

1,503 

15.000 

60 

150 

400 

60 

150 

200 

60 

250 

30 

100 

200 

30 

100 

200 

30 

100 

200 

40 

100 

200 

80 

100 

200 

120 

100 

200 

100 

100 

200 

30 

100 

300 

none. 

100 

300 

30 

Town  Debts. 

Poor. 

180 

55 

£126 

3^- 

4./. 

£202  75.  T<i. 

APPENDIX. 

207 

Preaching. 

Schools. 

Roads  and 
Bridges. 

Town  Debts. 

Poor. 

Valuation. 

179.0 

100 

3S5 

70 

30 

1796 

> 

200 

300 

100 

50 

1797 

200 

350 

105 

100 

179S  1 

200 

300 

90 

100 

1799  V 

iSoo  { 

200 

$1,000 

$330 

$500 

fO 

200 

1,000 

100 

500 

613,216 

iSoi 

•w 

200 

500 

60 

700 

630.  Soo 

1S02 

P 

200 

1.500 

700 

500 

644,516 

1S03  1 

$700 

1.700 

700 

500 

598.516 

1S04J 

700 

1,500 

100 

500 

610.243 

1S05I 

700 

1,000 

700 

400 

616,700 

1806 

> 

700 

2,000 

700 

450 

6^6  407 

1S07 

Soo 

2,100 

900 

450 

668.9S3 

1 80S 

Soo 

1.500 

700 

500 

64S.300 

1809 

800 

1,500 

1.000 

SSo 

652.933 

1810 

Soo 

1,500 

1.000 

600 

659.600 

1811 

Soo 

1,500 

1,000 

300 

657-753 

1812 

Q 

800 

1.500 

900 

400 

654,170 

1S13 

y 

800 

2,000 

900 

450 

664,023 

i8i4j 

800 

1.500 

1. 000 

550 

680,017 

1S15I 

800 

1,500 

1.400 

640 

709,800 

1816 

< 
fD 

800 

2,000 

1,500 

Soo 

687.617 

1817 

800 

2,000 

1,000 

800 

680.583 

181S 

1,000 

1,500 

500 

800 

687,750 

1819 

1,000 

2.000 

900 

800 

671.000 

1820 

800 

2,000 

700 

700 

661.500 

1821 

800 

2,000 

700 

800 

688,800 

1822 

§ 

800 

2,000 

600 

800 

621.870 

1823 

P 

Soo 

2,000 

500 

Soo 

633.666 

1824  J 

800 

3,000 

500 

8  50 

661.600 

182O 

800 

2.000 

"3SO 

800 

668,233 

1826 

> 
< 

800 

2,000 

500 

700 

694,050 

1827 

800 

2,000 

400 

700 

700.483 

182S 

-i 

1,000 

2,000 

400 

700 

709.983 

1829 

OQ 

1,000 

2,000 

400 

700 

820,000 

1830 

;. - 

1,000 

2.530 

500 

750 

841,030 

1S31 

"^ 

1,000 

2,100 

300 

700 

861,770 

1832 

_0N 

1,000 

2,5.SO 

700 

750 

879.850 

1S33 

P 

1,200 

2-335 

700 

750 

863.320 

1834 

1,200 

4.100 

500 

750 

930,330 

1835. 

1,200 

4.600 

300 

750 

922.820 

1836^ 

> 
< 

1,300 

2,200 

2.500 

700 

936,930 

1837 

1,300 

2,200 

1,500 

700 

1,069.260 

1838 

1.300 

2,000 

2.500 

1,000 

1,081,400 

1S39 

1,300 

2,500 

4.000 

1,000 

1,104,230 

1S40 

>^ 

1,300 

2,000 

5,000 

1,000 

1,201.720 

1S41 

^ 

1,300 

3,000 

5.000 

1,000 

1,298,550 

1842 

OJ 

1,800 

2,000 

3.000 

1,000 

1,207,550 

1843 

0 

i.Soo 

2,500 

3,000 

1,000 

1,199,100 

1S44. 

• 

1,800 

2.500 

3.000 

1,000 

1.059.910 

1845^ 

1,800 

2,000 

4.000 

l,COO 

1,065,700 

1846 

> 

i.Soo 

2.000 

4.000 

1,000 

1,115,060 

1S47 

i,8go 

2,000 

4.000 

Soo 

1,120.770 

184S 

-1 

S3 

1,800 

2,000 

4.000 

800 

1,121,900 

1849 

OJ 

2,000 

2,000 

4,000 

800 

1,185320 

iSso 

2,000 

2.000 

4,000 

Soo 

1,152,810 

1S51 

2,000 

2,000 

4,ofo 

Soo 

1,166,040 

1852 

OJ 
OJ 

2,000 

2,200 

4,000 

800 

1,177,080 

1853 

p 

2,600 

2,100 

4,000 

800 

1,209,070 

1S54, 

2,600 

2,200 

4,000 

800 

1,387,210 

Note.  —  No  record  of  valuation  till  iSoo. 


BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 


Preach 

ine. 

Schools. 

Roads  and 

Town  Debts. 

Poor. 

Valuation. 

Bridges. 

iSqs' 

2,600 

2,200 

4,000 

800 

1,606,730 

i8s6 

> 

2,900 

2,200 

.  5-000 

800 

1,656,720 

iS^7 

2 

2.900 

2,200 

4.500 

1,200 

1-655,730 

iS^S 

y 

2,900 

2.200 

4.000 

1,200 

1,653.600 

1S.-9 

3-300 

1,700 

2,500 

1,000 

1,649,170 

1S60 

3,000 

2,000 

2,500 

800 

i,6'')4,430 

1S61 

3'0,So 

2.000 

4.000 

800 

1,680,860 

1862 

to 

3,000 

2,000 

6,000 

800 

1,654.040 

1S63 

p 

3.000 

1,700 

8.003 

800 

1,699.870 

1S64J 

3' 300 

2,000 

S.OQO 

1,000 

1,728.622 

i860 

3-300 

2,500 

12.000 

1,000 

1,646,181 

1 866 

> 

3-300 

2.500 

12,000 

2,000 

1,807.470 

1867 

2 

3-350 

2,500 

13,000 

1,800 

1,804,023 

1 868 

^ 

3-850 

3.000 

9.000 

2,000 

1,837.442 

1869 

3.S50 

3.000 

9.000 

2,000 

1.829.463 

1870 

4.220 

3-500 

9.000 

2,000 

1,832,888 

1S71 

4,500 

3. SCO 

10,000 

2,000 

1,754,468 

1872 

4,500 

3-500 

10.000 

2,000 

1,825.423 

1S73 

P 

4,900 

2,000 

10,000 

2,000 

i-793o75 

1874J 


VOTES    CAST    FOR    GOVERNOR. 


17S0. 

1781. 
1782. 

1783- 
1784. 

1785- 

1786. 
1787. 

1788. 

1789. 

1790. 
1791. 
1792. 

1793- 
1794. 


John  Hancock     . 
James  Bowdoin  . 

John  Hancock    . 

Artemas  Ward  . 
James  Sullivan  . 
John  Hancock  . 
John  Hancock  . 
Azor  Orne 
Azor  Orne  .  . 
James  Bowdoin 
James  Bowdoin  . 
John  Hancock  . 
James  Bowdoin . 
John  Hancock  . 
James  Bowdoin  . 
John  Hancock  . 
James  Bowdoin  . 
John  Hancock  . 
John  Hancock  . 
John  Hancock  . 
John  Hancock  . 
Samuel  Adams  . 
William  Gushing 


So) 
34) 

1795- 

23 

1796. 

■?o| 

1797. 

50 

17  J 

22  5 

179S. 

95 

1799. 

1800. 

37 

"l] 

1801. 

''I 

1802. 

86) 
105 

1S03. 

61 

1804. 

98 

46 

1S05. 

17 

48  > 
365 

1806. 

Samuel  Adams  . 
Elbridge  Gerry . 
Increase  Sumner 
Samuel  Adams  . 
Increase  Sumner 
James  Sullivan  . 
Increase  Sumner 
James  Sullivan  . 
Increase  Sumner 
Moses  Gill     .     . 
Caleb  Strong    . 
Elbridge  Gerry 
Caleb  Strong    . 
Elbridge  Gerry 
Caleb  Strong   . 
Elbrige  Gerry  . 
Caleb  Strong    . 
Elbridge  Gerry 
Caleb  Strong    . 
James  Sullivan 
Caleb  Strong   . 
James  Sullivan 
Caleb  Strong  . 
James  Sullivan 


63^ 
h5 

68) 
583 

''\ 
34) 

SI 

105 

58 
88 
58 

121) 

55  5 

144  i 

127 

139 


APPENDIX. 


269 


1807.  Caleb  Strong  .     . 
James  Sullivan 

1808.  James  Sullivan 
Christopher  Gore 

1S09.     Christopher  Gore 

Levi  Lincoln  .  . 
1810.     Christopher  Gore 

Elbridge  Gerry  . 
iSii.     Christopher  Gore 

Elbridge  Gerry  . 
1S13.     Caleb  Strong   ,     . 

Elbridge  Gerry  . 
1S13.     Caleb  Strong   .     . 

Joseph  B.  Varnum 

1814.  Caleb  Strong    .     . 
Samuel  Dexter 

1815.  Caleb  Strong    .     . 
Samuel  Dexter 

1816.  John  Brooks      .     . 
Samuel  Dexter 

1S17.     John  Brooks      .     . 
Henry  Dearborn  . 

1818.  John  Brooks      .     . 
Benj.  Crowninshield 

1819.  John  Brooks 
Benj.  Crowninshield 

1820.  John  Brooks 
William  Eustis 

1 82 1.  John  Brooks      ,     . 
William  Eustis 

1822.  John  Brooks      .     . 
William  Eustis 

1823.  Harrison  Gray  Otis 
William  Eustis 

1824.  S.  Lathrop  .     .     . 
William  Eustis 

1S25.     Levi  Lincoln    . 
Marcus  Morton 

1826.  Levi  Lincoln     .     . 
Josiuh  Qiiincy  .     . 

1827.  Levi  Lincoln    .     . 
W.  C.  Jarvis     .     . 

1825.  Levi  Lincoln    .     . 
Marcus  Morton 

1829.  Levi  Lincoln    . 
Marcus  Morton 

1830.  Levi  Lincoln    . 
Marcus  Morton 

1831.  Levi  Lincoln    . 
Marcus  Morton     . 


14S? 
1365 
130  > 

145  5 
150 
149 

142) 
14S5 
12S) 
143  5 

159 
156 

179 

134 

1S3 

145 

173 

144 

170 ) 

1385 

152 } 
1425 

172  I 

143  5 
169  > 
1405 

146  > 
131 3 
126  > 
112  5 
180) 
1575 
160) 
1645 
181 
186 

93  I 
93 

825 
no  ) 
133 
76? 
363 

19^ 
1493 

91  J 

33  S 

108 

78 


1832.  Levi  Lincoln    . 
Marcus  Morton 

1833.  John  Davis  .      . 
Marcus  Morton 

1834.  John  Davis  .     . 
Marcus  Morton 

1835.  Edward  Everett 
Marcus  Morton 

1S36.     Edward  Everett 
Marcus  Morton 

1837.  Edward  Everett 
Marcus  Morton 

1838.  Edward  Evei-ett 
Marcus  Morton 

1S39.     Edward  Everett 
Marcus  Morton 

1840.  John  Davis  .     . 
Marcus  Morton 

1841.  John  Davis  .     . 
Marcus  Morton 

1S42.     John  Davis  .     . 
Marcus  Morton 

1843.  George  N.  Briggs 
Marcus  Morton 

1844.  George  N.  Briggs 
George  Bancroft 

1845.  George  N.  Briggs 
Isaac  Davis  .     , 

1846.  George  N.  Briggs 
Isaac  Davis  .     . 

1847.  George  N.  Briggs 
Caleb  Cushin_ 

1848.  George  N.  Briggs 
Caleb  Cushing 

1849.  George  N.  Brig 
George  S.  Bout 

1S50.     George  N 
George  S. 

1851.  Robert  C. 
George  S.  Boutwell 

1852.  John  H.  Clitlbrd    , 
Henry  W.  Bishop 

1853.  Emory  Washburn 
Henry  W.  Bishop 

1854.  Henry  J.  Gardner 
Henry  W.  Bishop 

1855.  Henrj' J.  Gardner 
E.D.  Beach.     . 

1856.  Henrv  J.  Gai-dner  . 
E.  D."^ Beach  .     . 


Briggs 

Boutwell 

Winthrop 


190) 
103  j 
178) 

99) 
209  I 

86  ( 

177  i 
130  > 
171  ) 
160  j 
232 
205 

23s  I 
245) 
251  I 
257) 

3171 
287  f 

300) 
262  f 

277  i 
2945 
257 1 
311 ) 
2S5 
300 

285 1 
248  f 

221) 
169  f 
227) 
199  J 
249 1 
231 ) 
266) 
257) 
259 1 
273) 
2S71 
260  j 

279 
241 

271) 

2295 

289) 

48  f 

iSo) 
152  ( 
171  ) 
112  ( 


270 


BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 


iS57- 

N.  P.  Banks  .     .     . 

109^ 

167 

116) 

1866. 

H.J   Gardner    .     . 

E.  D.  Beach  .     .     . 

1S58. 

N.  P.  Banks  .     .     . 

119) 
139  ) 

1867. 

E.  D.  Beach  .     .     . 

1859- 

N.  P.  Banks  .     .     . 

•     1-9) 

1868. 

B.F.Butler.     .     . 

170) 

i860. 

John  A.  Andrew    . 

236) 

1869. 

E.  D.  Beach  .     .     . 

140) 

1S61. 

John  A.  Andrew    . 

1S8I 
iiSl 

1870. 

Isaac  Davis  .     .     . 

1862. 

John  A.  Andrew    . 
Charles  Devens,  Jr. 

lfe\ 

1871. 

1863. 

John  A-  Andrew    . 

219) 
160  f 

1872. 

Henry  W.  Paine    . 

1S64. 

John  A.  Andrew    . 

142  ) 
131  ) 

Henry  W.  Paine    . 

1873- 

1S65. 

A.  H.' Bullock    .     . 

.      220  ) 
69  1 

Thomas  H.  Plunket 

A.  H.  Bullock   .    .     . 
Theodore  H.  Sweetzer 

A.  H.  Bullock  .     .     . 
John  Q^  Adams     .     . 

William  Claflin     .     . 
John  Q^  Adams     .     . 

William  Claflin     .     . 
John  Q^  Adams     .     . 

William  Claflin     .     . 
John  Q^  Adams     .     . 

William  B.  Washburn 
John  Q;  Adams     .     . 

William  B.  Washburn 
F.  W.  Bird    .... 

William  B.  Washburn 
William  Gaston    .     . 


228) 
61  J 

214) 
238  J 

356  I 
142  ) 

195  I 
125  I 

167  I 
108) 

187) 
89  J 

189  I 
77) 

119) 
103$ 


THE    CIVIL    WAR    OF    1S61-65. 


That  gun  fired  at  Fort  Sumter,  rousing  the  nation  to  the  defence  of 
its  existence  and  integrity,  in  Barre,  as  everywhere  throughout  the  North, 
welded  all  discordant  sentiments  into  one  burning  spirit  of  loyalty  and 
devotion  to  the  Union  our  fathers  had  formed,  and  the  government  they 
had  created.  With  the  first  body  of  troops  that  went  from  Worcester 
County,  a  Barre  boy  went  as  a  private  in  the  ranks,  and  was  followed 
immediately  by  another  son  of  Barre  as  an  officer  in  the  Holden  Rifle 
Company.  As  the  enthusiasm  deepened  and  widened  throughout  the 
whole  land,  the  feeling  of  the  people  found  expression  in  a  public  meet- 
ing, at  which  the  Town  Hall  was  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity,  and  which 
was  presided  over  by  Dr.  George  Brown,  when  were  adopted  unani- 
mously a  series  of  resolutions  pledging  the  citizens  to  drop  all  minor 
questions  of  political  policy,  and  unitedly  to  stand  by  the  country,  its 
government,  and  its  flag  to  the  last  extremity,  and  at  any  cost ;  and,  recog- 
nizing the  necessity  of  additional  organized  force,  extended  sympathy, 
encouragement,  and  promise  of  support  to  such  as  should  organize  into 
a  military  company. 

Spirited  speeches  in  support  of  the  resolutions  were  made  by  Mr. 
Brimblecom,  Mr.  Goddard,  Capt.  Jenkins,  Moses  Mandell  and 
others,  and  a  subscription  of  funds  for  the  personal  comfort  of  the  men 


APPENDIX. 


271 


who  should  volunteer,  made  on  the  spot,  amounted  to  $1,907  ;  and  meas- 
ures were  taken  to  put  into  practical  shape  the  spirit  that  seemed  to 
prevail.  Subsequent  meetings  were  held  ;  and,  in  accordance  with  a  sug- 
gestion at  one  of  them,  a  town-meeting  was  called  May  i,  when  it  was 
voted  to  appropriate  $4,000,  to  increase  the  pay  of  volunteers  from  Barre 
in  the  United  States  service  to  S18  per  month,  and  to  assist  such  famihes 
as  may  need  assistance.  At  the  same  time  $1,000  was  appropriated  to 
pay  each  member  of  the  company  fifty  cents  for  each  half-day  employed 
in  drilling.  The  12th  July  appropriated  $800  to  procure  a  uniform  for 
company  raised  in  Barre. 

July  17,  1862,  a  bounty  of  $100  was  voted  to  each  man  mustered  in  to 
fill  the  quota ;  and  August  27  voted  $100  to  each  nine-months  man. 

March  28,  1864,  voted  $4,000  to  fill  the  quota  of  town  on  recent  call 
of  the  President ;  and  June  10  voted  $5,000  to  fill  the  quota  of  the  town 
under  any  call  that  might  be  made. 

There  were  furnished  in  all  319  men,  of  whom  ir  were  commissioned 
officers.     Appropriated  and  expended  in  aid  of  the  war,  $24,356. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  volunteers  from  Barre,  and  the  organizations 
to  which  they  respectively  belonged,  date  of  their  enlistment  and  dis- 
charge, with  such  particulars  of  their  history  as  is  known :  — 

Company  K,  2ist  Regiment. 


Matthew  M.  Parkhurst,  ist  Lt 
John  B.  Williams,  2d  Lt. 
George  W.  Davis,  Serg. 

Erastus  B.  Richardson,  Seri 
Edwin  Nye      .     . 
Francis  P.  Gethings 
William  D.  Rider. 
Eawson  Parker     . 
Henry  E.  Conant 
Patrick  Carney     . 
James  O.  Fessenden 
George  H.  Gleason 
William  Harrington 
Edwin  L.  Howe  .     , 
Henry  L.  Holbrook,  ist 
Patrick  Martin      . 
William  H.  Morrow,  ist 
Timothy  W.  Moses  . 
Benton  Phelps,  2d  Lt., 
Henry  O.  Stone   .     . 
Joseph  E.  Stone  .     . 
Charles  A.  Smith  .     . 
Peter  J.  Tansey   .     . 
Henry  G.  M.  Twichell 
John  R.  Tooley    .     . 


Lt 


Lt 


6th 


July,  1861.  March  3,  1862,  resigned. 


Sept.  25,  1862,  d.  of  wounds  received  at 

Antietam. 
Aug.  27,  1S64,  ex.  service. 
Jan.  28,  1863,  disability. 
April,  1865,  exchanged. 
June  28,  1862,  d.  of  consumption,  BaiTe. 
Sept.  17,  1861,  deserted. 
July  12,  1865,  ex.  service. 
Dec.  1862,  disability. 
Mar.  14,  1862,  k.  Newbem,  N.  C. 
July  12,  1865,  ex.  service. 
July  30,  1864,  k.  Petersburg. 
Nov.  17,  1861,  d.  Annapolis,  Md. 
Sept.  17,  1862,  k.  Antietam. 
June  21,  1S65,  E. 
June  21,  1S65,  ex.  sei"vice. 
Jan.  28,  1863,  disability. 
June  21,  1865,  ex.  service,  Va. 
July  19,  1S64,     „  „ 

Mar.  19,  1862,  k.  Newbern,  N.  C. 
July  12,  1865,  ex.  service. 
June  9,  1865,    „       „ 
July  12,  1S65,  „       „ 
Feb.  15,  1864,  d.  Barre,  small-pox. 


272 


BAR.RE    CENTENNIAL. 


Josiah  Tooley  .     . 
Daniel  A.  Hunting 
William  Jerome   . 
David  E.  Todd    . 
Charles  N.  Caswell 
Charles  E.  Southlan 
Frank  L.  Stowell . 
William  Sweeney . 
George  Barnes 
William  Gilwee     . 
Patrick  Friar  .     . 
David  H.  Woodward 
Samuel  Thomas  . 
Sidney  Sibley  .     . 
Harrison  D.  Bliss 
James  A.  Cooper . 
George  E.  Wilson 
William  A.  Mullett 
43  men 


,J 


July,  1861.  April  4,  1862,  d.  Newbern,  N.  C,  fever. 

Oct.  8,  1S62,  sick,  discharged. 
Transf.  2d  Cavalry. 
July  15,  1S62,  cons.,  Newbern,  N.  C. 
Jan.  17,  1S62,  disability. 
Aug.  30,  1864,  ex.  service. 
Jan.  1863,  d.  Alexandria,  dropsy. 
Aug.  31,  1S62,  d.  Washington,  fever. 


Deserted^  k. 

Dec.  15,  1S62,  k.  Fredericsburg. 
1S63.     Sept.  iS,  1863,  d.  Kentucky. 
1862. 


Aug.  14 
Sept.  15 
Oct.  14,  1862.      May  23,  1S64,  disability, 


July,  1861.  Nov.  10,  1862,  disability. 

Mar.  10,  1864.     July  22,  1865,         ,, 
July,  1861.  Nov.  10,  1863. 


34TH  Regiment. 


Samuel  F.  Woods,  ist  Lt.,  Adjutant. 


Charles  G.  Allen,  Asst. 
George  W.  Howe 
Edson  P.  Kidder 
E.  Gardner  Davis 
George  Moran .     . 
Charles  L.  White . 
John  T.  White     . 
William  A.  White 
Allen  E.  King 
Peter  Brasseau 
Christopher  Goddard 
John  Buckly    .     . 
H.  Baxter  King  . 
Joseph  H.  Whittier 
Caleb  H.  Babbitt . 
Joseph  H.  Bacon 
Porter  W.  Robinson 
Anson  S.  Comee  . 
John  H.  Archibald 
John  R.  Cobleigh 
Joseph  W.  Smith 
Thomas  Connor 
John  Cambreau 
C.  W.  Johnson 
John  R.  Cobleigh,  Jr, 
Micah  Graves  .     . 
Emory  G.  Adams 
George  E.  Rice     . 
Joseph  M.  VVinslow 
WiUiam  Hildreth 


■SlU"! 


1864. 
July  31,  1862. 

July  17,    ,, 

June  27,  ,, 
Jime  28,  ,, 
June  27,    ,, 


July  17, 
June  27, 


July  4, 
July  17, 


July  4, 

July  17, 

July  „ 

June  27 

July, 

July  17, 

,,     ,) 

July  19, 
July  29, 
July  17, 
Aug.  2, 

Wounded  at  Stanton,  d.  at  Worcester, 
June,  1864. 

June  I,  1S64,  d.  New  Market,  wounds. 
June  15,  1863,  d.  Washington. 

July  31,  1864,  d.  Harper's  F.,  sun-stroke, 

June  15,  1865,  ex.  service. 

Nov.  28,  1864,  Winchester,  w.  Sept.  19. 

July  15,  1863,  ex.  service. 

Aug.  8,  1862.     Appointed  sergeant. 

Jan.  31,  1863,  d.  at  Barre. 

June  1 8,  1S64,  k.  at  Lynchburg,  Va. 

Dec.  17,  1863. 

May  15,  1864,  k.  New  Market. 

Jan.  14,  1863,  discharged,  sick. 

Nov.  1863,  discharged. 

July  16,  1863,  dis.,  d.  Washington,  D.  C. 

Killed  in  battle. 


July,  1S65,  ex.  ser\'ice. 

April  24,  1864,  d.  Marfinsburg,  pncum. 
June  15,  1865,  ex.  service. 

,,     ,,       ,,       >,         >> 
June  30,     ,,       ,,        ,, 


APPENDIX. 


273 


Michael  Carney    .     . 
Joseph  R.  Lamon 
Lewis  Brasseau     .     . 
Charles  L.  Mullett    . 
34  men. 


Edward  A.  Fales 
Francis  Mins  .     , 
Joseph  E.  Sweetzer 
Theodore  A.  Carter 
Joseph  Sheridan. . 
Asa  VV.  Fay    .     . 
Samuel  H.  Foster 
Oliver  W.  Wheelock 
Emerson  B.  Mullett 
Joseph  F.  Sanderson 
George  W.  Stetson 
Lyman  W.  Adams 
Justus  J.  Rising    . 
Albert  B.  Spooner 
Elbridge  D.  Thresher 

Doane 
Charles  W.  Amsden 

17  men 


J.  Martin  Gorham,  2d  Lieut 
Charles  L.  Atwood 
George  H.  Allen  . 
Benjamin  F.  Bacon 
Elbridge  G.  Bacon 
Warren  E.  Bacon 
Charles  E.  Baker 
Francis  G.  Bates  . 
Jotham  E.  Bigelow 
Luke  F.  Bowker . 
Edward  Bradbury 
Porter  Carter  .     . 
George  Desper 
Edward  Fisher     . 
John  M.  Gates 
Cynis  Hartwell     . 
Austin  Hawes  .     . 
Andrew  J.  Horton 
Adam  Howe     .     . 
George  L.  Johnson 
James  Mins      .     . 
Lewis  J.  Matthews 
George  Lane    .     . 
Dennis  Mara  .     . 


July  5,  1S62.       June  28,  1S65,  ex.  service. 

Dec.  8,  1863. 

Dec.  9,      „         Feb.  22,  1865,  Annapolis. 


lOTH  Battery. 

Dec.  28,  1863.  June  9,  1S65,  ex.  service. 

))     ))     !>  J>   >)     >)     !)      )) 

Dec.  29,  ,, 

'»    II     )>  )I    !1     11     II      II 

J)     II     II  II    II     II     11      II 

Jan.  4,  1864.  „  ,,   ,,   „    „ 
11  II   i> 


>i  II  ))  II  II   II   II    II 

,,  ,,  ,,  May  10,  1863,  k.  near  Spottsylvania,  Va. 

II  II  II 

II  II  II  II    II 

II  II  II  II     II 


June  9,  1865. 


11     II       II 


,,     ,,      ,,  Aug.  20,  1864,  d.  Hospital,  Brattleboro'. 

,,     ,,      ,,  April  26,  1865,  d.  Berksville  Station,  Va. 
Mar.  31,  „ 

Aug.  24,  ,,  June  9,  1S65. 


42D  Regiment. 

Sept.  16,  1862.     May  14,  1863,  resigned. 

April  27,  1863,  d.  Brashear,  La. 
July  4,  1S63,  New  Orleans. 
Aug.  20,  1863,  ex.  service. 


II      )i 
II      II 


Sept.  20, 


July  25,  1863,  d.  Algiers,  La. 
II      11      II      II       II  II 

II      II      II 


II  II  II 
II  II  11 
II      II      11 


Aug.  26,  1S63,  ex.  service. 
Dec.  1862,  deserted^  Brooklyn. 


35 


274 


BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 


Charles  Robinson 
James  Savage  .  . 
Leonard  Stark 
Julius  P.  Varney  . 
John  B.  Williams 
Addison  J.  Williams 
T.  Hanson  White 
Joseph  S.  Bruce  . 

32  men 


Pliny  H.  Babbitt,  ist  Lt. 
Abijah  L.  Shattuck,  2d  Lt 
Joseph  W.  Holbrook 
Joel  M.  Adams    . 
Eugene  D.  Clark  . 
Levi  C.  Hicks 
Forister  A.  Hicks 
J.  Harding  Allen  . 
Harding  Allen,  Jr. 
Charles  G.  Allen  . 
John  P.  Allen  .     . 
James  L.  Ainsworth 
John  Q.  Adams    . 
James  R.  Brown  . 
William  Augustus  Bullard 
Josiah  Bliss,  Jr.    . 
Thomas  P.  Blakely 
George  R.  Chaffee 
John  Carville  .     . 
Ezra  F.  Elliott    . 
Nathan  Elliott      . 
Edward  A.  Fales 
William  H.  Fields 
William  G.  Fessenden 
Willard  B.  Fessenden 
W^alter  A.  Forbush  . 
Phineas  Heywood,  2d 
Samuel  S.  Hamilton 
Daniel  P.  Hemenway 
William  Hinchcliff 
Joel  Hodges    .     . 
Henry  N.  Heald  . 
Martin  S.  Johnson 
Nelson  W.  Jameson 
Charles  G.  B.  King 
John  Kennedy 
George  M.  Kemp  ton 
George  Knights    . 
Fred  Lilley      .     . 
Gamaliel  Luce,  Jr. 
Henry  H.  Lindsay 


Sept.  20,  1862.    Aug.  20,  1S63,  ex.  service. 


Aug.  24,  1863,  d.  at  Barre. 
Aug.  20,  1S63,  ex.  service. 


53D  Regiment. 

Sept.  15, 1862.  Sept.  2,  1S63. 


Apr. 
June 
Sept. 

19, 

28, 

2, 

1863, 
1S63, 
1S63. 

k. 
d. 

Berwick  Bay. 
Baton  Rouge, 

La. 

)) 

!) 

>» 

June 
Sept. 

16, 
2, 

1863, 
J) 

d. 

Brashear,  La. 

!> 

Dec. 

Sept. 

1862,  deserted. 
2,  1863. 

June  2, 

1862,  k.  Port  Hudson. 

Sept.  2, 

1S62. 

11     11 
Dec.  I, 

1S62,  d.  Groton. 

May  29, 

1863,  k.  Port  Hudson. 

June  14, 

1S63,  k.  Port  Hudson 

Sept.  2, 

1S63. 

June  14, 

1863,  k.  Port  Hudson 

Sept.  2, 

1863, 

June 
Sept. 


14,  1S63,  k.  Port  Hudson. 
2,  186;. 


APPENDIX. 


275 


George  H.  Mitchell  . 
George  F.  Newton  . 
Theodore  S.  Pierce  . 
David  W.  Robinson . 
Elbridge  L.  Robinson 
Patrick  Rogers  .  . 
J.  Andrew  Rogers  . 
Samuel  E.  Smith  .  . 
Granville  C.  Smith  . 
Lucius  Spooner  ,  . 
Henry  H.  Wyman  . 
Marcellus  Whitman  . 
53  men. 


George  N.  Wheelock 
William  A.  Mullett  . 
Leander  T.  Hathaway 
Edward  E.  Hatheway 
Robert  Adamson  . 
Henry  W.  Crawford 
James  A.  Cooper . 
Henry  M.  Mullett 
Nelson  C.  Young 
Thomas  Hill    .     . 
George  B.  Woods 
Daniel  D.  Cole     . 
Henry  W.  Cole     . 


George  W.  Robinson,  Jr. 
Daniel  G.  King    . 
Edwin  Capron 
Fred.  W.  Capron 
Albert  G.  Wilder . 
WilHam  H.  Smith 
Leonard  M'Farland 
Thomas  M'Clarance 
John  A.  Maynard 
Samuel  Thomas   . 


Sept.  16,  1S62.    June  26,  1863,  d.  New  Orleans. 
Sept.  2,  1863. 

May  II,  1863,  d.  Berwick  Bay. 
June  6,  1863,  k.  Baton  Rouge. 
June  14,  1863,  Port  Hudson. 
Sept.  2,  1863. 
Sept.  2,  1863. 


Sundry  Regiments. 

July,  1861.  July  3,  1863. 

Oct.  12,  i86r.      Oct.  22,  1862,  disab.  and  w. 

Oct.  15,    „  Mar.  3,  i862,Newbern,  N.C. 

deserted. 

July,  1861.  Nov.  10,  1863,  disability. 


15th  Reg't. 

)?        )) 
2;th     ,, 


Dec.  1S63. 

July  22,  '64,  Andersonville. 

3d  Artil'ry. 

Jan.  1S64. 

3d  Cavalry, 
8th  Batt'ry. 

Sept.  17,1861. 

Nov.  7,  1863. 

1st    Reg't. 

May,  1861. 

w.   Winchester, 

and 

disch. 

from  service, 

1862. 

2d           „ 

29th     „ 

Jan.  15,  1862. 

31st     „ 

))         M           )) 

Aug.  1864,  deserted. 

31st      „ 

))     )>      >> 

Sept.  9,  1865. 

31st      „ 

Aug.  1862. 

April  21,    „ 

31st      „ 
10th      „ 

25  E. 

Mar.  31,  1864. 

June  12,  1865. 

Sig.  service. 

Sept.  15,  1S62. 

37th  Reg't. 

The  responsibility  of  rendering  due  recognition  on  all  fit  occasions  to 
these  honored  names,  whether  Hving  or  dead,  and  the  importance  of  pre- 
serving a  distinct  knowledge  of  what  they  did  and  suffered  for  the  infor- 
mation of  the  future,  prompts  to  an  attempt  briefly  to  sketch  the  career  of 
the  regiments  where  our  men  rendered  service.  Forty-three  of  the  citizens 
and  sons  of  Barre  made  part  of  Company  K  of  the  Twenty-first  Regiment. 
They  elected  at  home  their  officers,  and  were  uniformed  at  the  expense  of 
the  town.  At  a  public  meeting  these  officers  were  presented  with  hand- 
some swords,  and  the  company  left  town  for  Worcester,  carrying  with 
them  the  recollection  of  cheers,  benedictions,  and  tears  that  accompanied 


276  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

their  departure.  After  a  brief  stay  in  camp,  the  regiment  started  for  the 
seat  of  war,  August  23,  1861,  and  first  encamped  at  Annapolis,  where  for 
nearly  five  months  it  performed  the  duty  of  protecting  the  road  to  the  Cap- 
itol and  keeping  the  State  of  Maryland  in  the  Union.  In  January,  1862,  it 
started  for  North  Carolina,  its  colonel,  who  had  been  a  brigadier-general 
in  the  militia,  having  resigned  soon  after  their  arrival,  and  Lieut.-Colonel 
Clark  being  commissioned  colonel  the  next  day.  It  made  part  of  Gen. 
Burnside's  expedition,  and  was  engaged  in  the  battles  at  Roanoke  Island, 
at  Newbern,  and  at  Camden.  Fessenden,  Martin,  and  Stone  were  the 
first  of  the  sons  of  Barre  to  give  up  their  lives  in  defence  of  their 
country.  The  regiment  remained  South  till  the  famous  campaign  of  Gen. 
Pope,  in  July  of  1862,  when  the  command  of  Gen.  Burnside  was  sent  in 
as  a  reinforcement,  and  it  landed  at  Aqua  Creek  so  as  to  take  part  in  the 
battles  at  Second  Bull  Run,  South  Mountain,  Chantilly,  Antietam,  and 
Fredericsburg.  At  Falmouth  it  remained  on  picket  duty  through  the 
months  of  December  and  January,  and  broke  camp  without  regret,  Feb.  9, 
1863,  reaching  Paris,  Ky.,  April  i,  where  the  State  Fair  Grounds  fur- 
nished the  men  a  resting-place  of  four  days,  when  they  proceeded  twenty- 
two  miles  to  Mount  Sterling,  where  it  remained  three  months,  vindicating 
the  character  and  title  to  respect  of  Massachusetts  troops  at  the  hands  of 
Western  men.  In  July  they  were  at  Lexington,  and  afterwards  at  Camp 
Nelson,  and  started  for  East  Tennessee  12th  September,  marching  one 
hundred  and  eighty-five  miles  to  Knoxville.  Oct.  11,  a  spirited  engage- 
ment occurred  at  Blue  Springs,  when  the  Twenty-first  drove  the  enemy 
from  his  position,  and  pursued  him  twenty-six  miles,  having  marched 
fifty-one  miles  to  reach  that  point.  From  this  time  to  the  end  of  the  year 
their  service  was  severe  and  their  conduct  heroic.  They  are  said  to 
have  marched  and  countermarched  through  storm  and  cold  without  tents 
and  on  half  rations,  poorly  clothed  and  badly  shod,  twenty  men  doing 
duty  through  November  barefoot,  and  yet  doing  their  duty  cheerfully 
and  with  such  alacrity  as  to  have  acquired  the  name  of  the  "  Fighting 
Regiment."  At  the  siege  of  Knoxville  they  did  active  duty,  being  one 
night  on  picket  and  the  next  in  the  rifle-pits  ;  and  the  24th  November,  in 
company  with  another  picked  regiment,  they  made  one  of  the  most  brilliant 
charges  of  the  siege,  driving  the  enemy  from  the  houses,  the  fences,  and 
the  rifle-pits  in  the  neighborhood,  and  keeping  up  the  work  constantly 
till  the  siege  was  raised  the  5th  December ;  and  though  only  able  to  have 
for  their  subsistence  two  ears  of  corn  per  day,  yet  following  hard  on 
the  footsteps  of  the  retreating  enemy  into  the  woods  of  East  Tennessee  ; 
and  then,  with  the  memory  of  what  they  had  passed  through,  and  realizing 
what  was  before  them,  half  starved  as  they  were,  they  crowned  their  ser- 
vice of  two  and  a  half  years  by  a  further  re-enlistment  for  three  years.  If 
any  men  ever  deserved  well  of  their  country,  surely  such  as  these  did. 
It  is  worthy  of  note,  that  all  but  thirty-six  of  the  regiment  who  were  alive 
and  present  for  duty  became  veterans.     In  January,   1864,  they  came 


APPENDIX.  277 

home  on  a  furlough,  and  were  honored  with  an  enthusiastic  reception  at 
Worcester  as  a  regiment,  and  a  no  less  cordial  one  at  Barre  was  tendered 
to  Company  K.  Returning,  they  were  reviewed  and  welcomed  back  by 
President  Lincoln,  and,  marching  by  the  battle-fields  of  Bull  Run  and 
Bristow's  Station  to  the  Rapidan  to  co-operate  with  the  army  of  the 
Potomac  in  the  final  pounding  out  of  the  Rebellion,  they  made  a  part 
of  that  force  with  which  Grant  said  he  should  "fight  it  out  on  that  line  if 
it  took  all  summer."  They  were  on  the  road  to  Richmond  all  that  year  ; 
and  in  the  Wilderness,  at  Spottsylvania,  at  North  Anna,  Coal  Harbor, 
Petersburg,  Welden  Railroad,  Poplar  Spring  Creek,  and  at  Hatches  Run, 
they  met  the  shock  of  arms,  and  proved  veterans  in  deed  as  well  as  in 
name. 

The  casualties  of  the  service,  and  the  draft  which  had  been  made  upon 
the  physical  systems  of  the  men,  had  reduced  the  numbers  of  the  regi- 
ment to  that  point  that  it  became  necessary  to  break  up  the  organization  ; 
and  so,  on  the  i8th  August,  1864,  the  regiment  was  broken  up  and  its 
men  transferred  to  the  Thirty-sixth  Massachusetts,  and  the  officers  were 
mustered  out  of  service  together  with  the  men  who  had  not  re-enlisted. 

Its  record  during  its  entire  period  of  service  was  a  most  honorable 
one,  and  more  than  once  it  had  the  credit  of  having,  by  its  courage  and 
dash,  saved  or  turned  the  fortunes  of  the  day,  and  either  achieved  a  suc- 
cess or  prevented  a  rout.  Especially  was  this  true  of  the  first  battle  of 
the  Wilderness,  when  the  Second  Corps  gave  way,  and,  rushing  across 
the  lines  of  the  Ninth,  threw  every  thing  into  confusion  ;  then  the  Twenty- 
first  Massachusetts  and  the  looth  Pennsylvania  succeeded  in  restoring 
order  out  of  confusion,  and  prevented  the  entire  destruction  of  the  army. 
All  honor,  then,  to  the  officers  and  men  of  the  Twenty-first  Massa- 
chusetts ! 

In  the  summer  of  1862,  after  the  repulse  of  the  Shenandoah,  the  Thirty- 
fourth  Massachusetts  was  recruited  in  Worcester  County,  and  its  adjutant 
and  thirty-three  men  of  Company  E  were  from  Barre.  It  was  ably  offi- 
cered and  splendidly  equipped,  being  commanded  by  Col.  Wells,  who  left 
the  Bench  at  Boston  to  join  the  army,  while  its  lieut. -colonel  was  a  son 
of  Governor  Lincoln,  and  its  major  had  an  experience  in  the  field,  and 
had  been  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  the  rebels.  The  drill  and  disci- 
pline of  the  regiment  was  carefully  attended  to  during  its  sojourn  at 
Worcester  and  while  if  remained  in  camp  near  Washington,  so  that 
when  it  left  for  the  more  active  duties  of  the  field  its  reputation  for 
soldierly  qualities  was  unsurpassed  by  any  that  were  stationed  there. 
And  the  precision  and  perfection  of  its  manoeuvres  and  parades  were 
only  second  to  its  exhibition  of  the  sterner  qualities  of  courage  and 
endurance  that  characterize  the  patriotic  soldier.  At  Harper's  Ferry  and 
Maryland  Heights  it  had  something  of  an  experience  of  hfe  in  the  field, 
as  it  was  assigned  to  picket  duty  and  the  maintenance  of  order  and  loy- 
alty ;  but  its  first  engagement  was  at  Charleston,  where  a  portion  of  the 


278  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 

regiment  was  surprised  and  captured.  In  fifteen  hours  it  marched  thirty- 
five  miles,  fighting  for  more  than  ten  miles  with  double  its  number,  and 
being  without  food  or  rest. 

The  loth  December  it  became  important  to  divert  attention  from  an 
important  strategic  movement  of  Averill's,  and  the  Thirty-fourth  was 
assigned  to  that  duty,  which  it  discharged  satisfactorily,  though  it  came 
near  being  surrounded  by  the  force  of  Gen.  Early,  with  six  or  seven 
thousand  men,  while  our  force  numbered  only  about  fourteen  hundred.  On 
the  24th  it  returned  to  camp  to  turn  out  in  perfect  order  without  a  single 
straggler,  and  all  its  equipments  bright  and  shining,  though  it  had  been 
fifteen  days  in  a  campaign  without  tents. 

February  i,  1864,  it  went  to  Cumberland,  returning  to  Harper's  Ferry 
the  7th  to  repel  an  attack.  Martinsburg  was  the  place  of  its  encampment 
March  7th,  and  April  2d  back  again  to  Harper's  Ferry  ;  17th  to  Martins- 
burg ;  May  2d  to  Winchester;  May  9th  to  Cedar  Creek;  May  nth  to 
Woodstock  ;  and  on  the  14th  to  New  Market,  a  march  of  twenty-one  miles, 
with  only  a  halt  of  ten  minutes.  Here  occurred  a  gallant  fight  and  a 
severe  loss  ;  and  though  the  fortune  of  war  was  against  them,  so  that  out 
of  five  hundred  men,  two  hundred  and  twenty-one  were  killed  or  wounded 
in  half  an  hour,  yet  such  was  the  ardor  of  the  men  to  advance,  that  Col. 
Wells  could  only  stop  the  regiment  by  seizing  the  color-bearer  by  the 
shoulder  and  holding  him  by  main  strength  ;  and  as  they  retired  by  order, 
the  men  were  heard  to  say  to  each  other,  "  For  God's  sake,  don't  run, 
Thirty-fourth  !  Don't  let  them  drive  you  !  "  All  that  night  they  marched 
to  Woodstock,  to  get  the  first  sleep  or  rest  for  two  days.  Hunter's 
expedition  to  the  Shenandoah  was  poorly  supplied  with  food,  and  when 
the  army  was  ordered  to  live  on  the  country,  the  bark  of  birch-trees  was 
peeled  off  to  eat  and  flour  from  deserted  mills  swept  up  to  be  cooked. 
All  through  that  terrible  summer  of  1864  they  were  engaged  in  the 
fiercest  of  the  fight,  having  been  engaged  in  nine  battles  and  lost  six 
hundred  and  sixty-one  men,  while  every  commissioned  officer  in  the 
regiment  was  either  killed  or  wounded. 

At  the  opening  of  the  campaign  in  the  spring  it  was  assigned  to  the 
Army  of  the  James  ;  and  on  the  2d  of  April  it  made  a  desperate  charge 
on  Battery  Gregg,  hanging  upon  the  works  for  the  space  of  twenty-seven 
minutes,  with  grape  and  shell  pouring  in  upon  it,  when,  with  a  rush, 
and  a  short  hand-to-hand  struggle,  the  parapet  was  gained,  the  fort  and 
its  entire  garrison  captured.  And  in  numerous  engagements,  till  the 
surrender  of  Lee  on  the  9th,  the  Thirty-fourth  promptly  and  heroically 
met  the  requirements  of  the  situation  ;  and  on  the  i6th  June,  at  Richmond, 
it  was  mustered  out  of  service  with  the  flattering  tribute  that  it  had  been 
always  first  to  advance  and  last  to  retreat,  maintaining  its  organization 
unbroken  under  all  circumstances. 

The  Twenty-first  and  Thirty-fourth  were  the  only  regiments  of  three 
years'  men  that  had  companies  from  Barre.     A  reference  to  the  list  will 


APPENDIX.  279 

show  that  in  various  other  three  years'  regiments  were  a  few  men  ;  and 
it  would  be  a  pleasure  as  well  as  a  duty,  did  space  permit,  to  trace  these 
regiments,  as  each  wrote  out  under  fire  and  in  camp  its  military  history, 
honorable  to  its  members  and  honorable  to  the  State. 

Of  the  Forty-second  and  Fifty-third  Regiments  of  nine  months' men,  who 
each  had  a  company  from  Barre,  and  were  in  Banks'  command  in  the 
expedition  to  New  Orleans,  there  is  much  that  might  be  said,  but  the 
story  must  be  briefly  told.  Thirty-two  enlisted  men  were  with  the  Forty- 
second,  which  left  Readville,  Nov.  21,  1862,  for  New  Orleans  by  way  of 
New  York,  where,  finding  no  provision  had  been  made  for  its  reception, 
it  bivouacked  in  the  streets  and  sheds  near  for  its  first  night  out  of  Mas- 
sachusetts. It  sailed  for  Ship  Island  the  2d  December,  in  four  leaky 
transports,  arriving  the  i6th,  from  whence  three  companies  sailed  the  19th 
for  Galveston,  Texas,  where  they  landed  without  opposition  the  25th,  but 
were  attacked  and  captured  by  a  superior  force  the  ist  January,  having, 
however,  made  so  gallant  a  resistance  that  out  of  respect  to  it  they  were 
allowed  to  retain  all  of  their  private  property.  By  this  capture,  having 
lost  their  colonel,  the  regiment  seems  to  have  lost  its  distinctive  organi- 
zation, the  companies  being  detailed  to  special  and  independent  duty, 
Capt.  Davis,  the  commander  of  Company  K,  was  assigned  to  provost 
duty,  and  Company  K  was  detached  as  pontoniers  (Feb.  16),  building 
bridges  with  such  energy  and  skill  as  to  receive  high  praise,  and  perhaps 
rendering  as  important,  if  not  as  conspicuous,  services  as  any  arm  of  the 
service.  On  i8th  February,  a  pontoon-bridge  at  New  Orleans;  on  loth 
March,  a  bridge  100  feet  long,  at  Bayou  Montesino;  on  15th  took  it  up, 
and  retired  to  Baton  Rouge  ;  on  9th  April,  a  bridge  300  feet  long  on 
Bayou  Boeuf ;  on  12th,  across  Bayou  Teche  ;  on  26th  May,  Sandy  Creek, 
280  feet  long  ;  then,  at  storming  of  Fort  Hudson,  took  bridge  to  pieces, 
and  bridged  ditch  for  storming  parties. 

In  the  Fifty-third  Regiment  were  fifty-three  Barre  men.  This  left  Mas- 
sachusetts the  29th  November,  1861,  and  embarked  for  New  Orleans, 
Jan.  17th,  occupying  twelve  days.  In  the  campaign  it  had  a  prominent  and 
active  part,  being  in  several  very  important  engagements,  and  especially 
in  the  several  charges  upon  Fort  Hudson,  and  at  Brashear  City  and  through 
the  Teche  Country,  capturing  Fort  Bisland,  and  showing  under  fire  all 
the  steadiness  and  nerve  of  veteran  soldiers.  The  regiment  lost  in  its 
campaign,  from  all  causes,  two  hundred  and  forty  men  ;  the  Forty-second, 
one  hundred  and  fifty-seven  men,  of  whom  seventy-two  were  deserters. 
Both  regiments  arrived  home  in  August,  1863,  and  the  two  companies 
from  Barre  were  tendered  a  public  reception  by  the  citizens  of  Barre, 
and  a  collation  was  spread,  to  which  every  single  family  in  town  was 
invited  to  contribute,  and  was  in  all  respects  an  enthusiastic  and  satis- 
factory affair. 


No. 

I. 

»> 

2. 

» 

3- 

>> 

4- 

280  BARRE    CENTENNIAL. 


ORIGINAL  ASSIGNMENT  OF  "GREAT  AND  LITTLE 
FARMS"  IN  THE  NORTH-WEST  QUARTER  OF  RUT- 
LAND BY  THE  PROPRIETORS,  April  29,  1735;  Nov.  23, 
1736;  Nov.  24,  1737;  AND  June  14,  1738. 

Samuel  Waldo.     560  acres. 
Thomas  Hutchinson.     560  acres. 
Rev.  Joseph  Parsons.     560  acres. 
With  little  Farm  H.  annexed. 

^    to  Henry  FrankHn's  heirs. 

■|    to  Joshua  Heywood,  or  his  assign,  William  Nightingale,  Jr. 

■Jj  to  Daniel  Willard. 

•g^3   to  Anna  Bos  worth. 

g^3    to  Susanna  Cowdrey. 
j^g  to  Sarah  Hope. 

5.  With  little  Farms  D.,  E.,  and  F.     782  acres. 
■^    to  John  White's  heirs. 
•^    to  Joshua  Heywood. 

6.  With  little  Farms  B.  and  C.     794  acres,  126  rods. 
■^    to  Anthony  Stoddard. 
■|    to  John  Charnock's  heirs. 

7.  Rev.  Thomas  Prince.     560  acres. 

8.  ^  to  Ebenezer  Allen,  heir  of  James  Allen.     560  acres. 
^  to  Samuel  Howard,  Benjamin  and  Jonathan  Parker. 

9.  -I  to  John  Oulton.     560  acres. 
\  to  John  Buttolph. 
\  to  Barral  Dyer. 

10.  Thomas  Prince.    560  acres. 

11.  ^  to  Benjamin  Prescot.     560  acres, 
f  to  John  Buckley. 

12.  -I  to  Richard  Bill.     560  acres. 
■^  to  William  Salter. 

13.  Samuel  Waldo.     560  acres. 

14.  I    to  Samuel  Willard.     560  acres. 
^    to  Charles  Apthorp. 

15.  Cornelius  Waldo.     593  acres. 

16.  Francis  Brinley.     645  acres. 

17.  Jonas  Clark.     560  acres. 

18.  Thomas  Brintnall's  heirs.     560  acres. 

19.  Col.  Adam  Winthrop.     560  acres. 

20.  With  little  Farm  G.  annexed.     651  acres. 
Robert  Blood's  heirs. 


APPENDIX. 

No.  21.     With  little  Farm  A.     670  acres. 

^    to  John  Jeffries. 

^    to  Maj.  Samuel  Sewell. 
„  22.     Col.  Isaac  Winslow.     664  acres. 
„  23.       ^    to  John  Jones.     560  acres. 

\    to  Thomas  Sparhawk. 

\    to  Noah  Sparhawk. 
„  24.     3^   to  John  Dolbeare.     660  acres. 
■^■^    to  Mary  Leland. 

\    to  James  Pemberton. 

■^    to  Bartholomew  Cheever. 
„  25.     Rev.  Thomas  Prince.     560  acres. 
„  26.       I    to  Samuel  Waldo.     560  acres. 

^    to  Cornelius  Waldo. 

^    to  John  Oulton. 
,,  27.     Col.  Estes  Hatch.     644  acres. 
„  28.     Thomas  Fitch's  heirs.     575  acres. 
„  29.       ^    Col.  Estes  Hatch.     630  acres. 

^    to  Nicholas  Davis. 

\    to  Peter  Lucy. 
„  30.     William  Allen.     652  acres. 
,,  31.     ^Q    to  Thomas  Child.     680  acres. 

^^jj    to  Dr.  William  Douglass. 

|-    to  Dr.  William  Douglass. 

■^^   to  Elizabeth  Rice. 

^ly   to  Mary  Ellis. 
^^   to  Mehitabel  Baxter. 
j^j  to  Sarah  Hope. 
,,  32.      \    to  Nathan  Prince.     617  acres. 

\    to  Samuel  Denney. 

•^    to  Mrs.  Hannah  Fayerweather. 
»  33-     With  httle  Farm  K.  and  L.     768  acres. 

^    to  Benjamin  Brown's  heirs, 
-j^g-   to  Richard  Estabrook. 
y'j    to  John  Willard. 

■f^  to  Samuel  Waldo. 

■^Q   to  John  Checkly. 


36 


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